Survey: More youths prefer equal say over Malay parties

More young Malaysians are showing support for political coalitions that represent all races, according to the Merdeka Youth Survey Report 2024.

The survey revealed that 54 percent of the 1,605 respondents favour a political arrangement that ensures equal say for all races in shaping national policies.

In contrast, 33 percent backed a Malay-dominant arrangement, while only eight percent preferred a purely Malay coalition.

The survey further revealed that support for “equal say” parties was consistent across all age groups, but opinions are more divided along ethnic lines.

The highest approval came from those aged 21-24, followed by the 18-20 and 25-30 age brackets.

Among the racial lines, however, 49 percent of Malays preferred Malay dominant coalitions, compared to 32 percent favouring “equal say” and 12 percent for Malay-only coalitions.

In contrast, nearly all Chinese (98 percent) and a majority of Indian (87 percent), non-Muslim Bumiputera (74 percent) and Muslim Bumiputera (52 percent) of respondents preferred coalitions where all racial groups have an equal say.

Among the race groups, nearly all Chinese respondents (98 percent) supported “equal say” parties, while only 32 percent of Malay respondents shared the same sentiment.

For context, participants were asked to choose which political party arrangement they preferred to govern the country. The options were:

1. Only Malay: A party that combines Malay parties and does not include any non-Malay or non-bumiputera parties.

2. Malay dominant: The coalition party represents all races in the country, but the party of the Malays has the power to decide on national policy.

3. Equal say: A coalition party that represents all races in the country, each of them has the same right to speak in forming national policy.

The report also highlighted views from some respondents who felt that political parties in Peninsular Malaysia lacked a dedicated Malay-only party.

Other respondents believed a party would be more stable if it welcomed members from other races.

The opinions were voiced during Merdeka Center’s focus group discussions held in conjunction with the survey.

The pollster held a series of eight focus group discussions involving 46 Malay youths, as well as five workshops involving 185 youths.

The 1,605 respondents for the poll were selected randomly along the lines of ethnicity, gender, age, and state to ensure a nationally representative sample, and were interviewed by phone.

The survey included 1,605 respondents aged 18 to 30, representing various racial groups from all regions, including the north, south, central, and east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Sabah and Sarawak.

It also had an equal number of male and female participants.

Youths shunning politics

Additionally, the survey revealed a sharp decline in youth interest in politics, with only 31 percent of respondents showing active political engagement - down from 49 percent last year.

Nearly half of the respondents (46 percent) reported discussing politics with their family members, followed by conversations with friends (45 percent), colleagues (six percent), and community members (one percent).

Last year, KiniNews Lab published two stories about the impact of the “Green Wave” among young voters.

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GE15: Was the ‘Green Wave’ powered by young voters?

A study by Iman Research at the time highlighted that Perikatan Nasional was the only coalition to successfully tap into the TikTok platform, which primarily caters to those aged 30 and under, to reach first-time voters.

The term “Green Wave” refers to the significant electoral gains made by PN, symbolising a perceived rise in Islamisation within the country.

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