Not voting like their fathers

(The Malaysian Insider) PEKAN REMBAU, Aug 13 — Like most small towns in Malaysia, there seemed to be precious few young adults wandering the main street of the sleepy Negri Sembilan town of Pekan Rembau last Tuesday afternoon.

Many, if not most, would have probably left for the bright lights of bigger towns like Seremban, Malacca, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

Since last year’s general election, a trend has emerged where young voters have been choosing to vote for Pakatan Rakyat parties rather than Barisan Nasional. A young voter demographic bulge is also said to be key in determining the winner of the next general election.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also Rembau’s representative in Parliament, was tasked by the party president with reversing this trend.

It has been, at times, a vicious war, which includes race baiting and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim branded a “traitor” to the Malays.

That evening the Pakatan Rakyat was holding a ceramah in Rembau… so what did the young people here think of the raging battle for Malay hearts and minds by Umno, PAS and PKR?

Three shop assistants, Riz, Nas and Zul, who finally agreed to talk, looked like the sort Khairy would be keen to recruit for his Umno Youth movement.

Read more at: Not voting like their fathers