YOURSAY | Adam Adli will have to woo uncommitted youths

YOURSAY | ‘This country needs young blood to craft a new narrative.’

Can’t bank on younger voters being progressive - Adam Adli

Adam Adli: We're down but now's not the time to give up

The Analyser: At least we get to see what drives newly-elected PKR Youth chief Adam Adli Abdul Halim and where he is coming from. But what do those influences add up to? What are Adam’s goals within PKR?

Of particular interest were his comments on the lack of progressive thinking amongst young people. This is not the least bit surprising when you realise they were raised and educated not to think, and not to question.

This caught my eye: “Adam said that it was important to stick to the party’s principles, spread its message and raise awareness.”

My question is, what are the party’s principles? Self-advancement and party hopping? What is the party’s message? I don’t have a clue.

I know more about what the UK Conservatives stand for than I do about PKR. I know more about Australian Labour Party’s policies than DAP’s.

Proarte: Indeed, the problem is the parties themselves. What are the differences politically which keep them apart and competing for the same demographic?

Pakatan Harapan talks about the racial and religious divide and the need to bridge it but what are the politicians themselves doing to bridge the divide? Nothing!

Why don't they talk about merging into one united party, namely PKR, DAP and Amanah coming together to form, for example, PKAD - Parti Keadilan Amanah Demokratik?

This will symbolically show that people of various races and religions can work together. It would be good to see Chinese candidates in Amanah and PKR strongholds, and vice versa.

This will be a testimony to these parties’ sincerity in bringing all Malaysians together. The current Harapan is a mirror image of the divisive and bigoted BN structure: PKR - Malay, DAP - Chinese, and Amanah - Muslims.

Muda, as a new party aimed at the younger generation, should be invited to join PKAD.

Barriers need to be broken down and merging is the way to go. Then these parties will not be fighting for the same demographic. It will avoid all the ugly squabbles which the public saw between PKR and Muda in the Johor elections.

JW: “We cannot simply expect (young people to vote progressively) because young age would never guarantee innovation or progressiveness,” Adam said.

The above is a perfect retort to all those, including several from DAP, who think stupidly that just because voters are young, they would be progressive.

Thus, these people would say things like every time Harapan lost an election, such as in Malacca and Johor, that not enough young people eligible to vote went out to vote.

To me, many young people, first and foremost, do not know enough about the political scene because they have stayed out of it all their lives.

Those who want to know something about Malaysian politics, who would they normally turn to, if not their parents? One reason that Malaysians don't openly talk about politics is because we are "scared".

Mechi: There is new hope when you have new leaders. Currently, PKR has an image problem that has to be eradicated. They need to leverage and utilise their existing good leaders like Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim must plan for a proper succession. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad failed to do so and we are still reaping the effects of his actions, including a poor education system, racism and massive corruption.

Salvage Malaysia: DAP likes to lure in intellects who are now slowly sidelined by the grassroots for being ‘arrogant’. The problem is these intellects had a shortcut to being ministers and deputy ministers when Harapan won.

PKR, on the other hand, likes to lure celebrities and activists instead. PKR will need more well-exposed and well-educated young faces for the future.

Steven Ong: There are still many young Malay Malaysians stuck in the old racist mud created by the racist politicians who used them as their vote bank. One can easily encounter them on social media like Facebook, with their racist hate speech and nonsense.

No progress will be achieved if they continue to believe they are the landlords in this land called 'Tanah Melayu'. Imagine what would be the result if everyone called their land 'English land', 'Russian land', Chinese land'?

Anyone born in a country should be an equal citizen of that country and have the same right and responsibility to help build a garden of peace for all to live in.

Just A Malaysian: Welcome, young man. This country needs fresh blood to craft a new narrative. I pray that you will be brave and resolute as the journey will be long, painful and hard.

Along the way, there will be many temptations to give in and join the good life the easy way. God bless you, Adam.

Iphonezours: With a new crop of young and talented leaders in PKR, I am quite sure PKR can emerge from the doldrums.

Even if opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim decides to stay on, the winds of change will surely dictate the future of PKR and Harapan.

It’s time to roll up their sleeves and outline what’s in store for Malaysians in the 15th general election.

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