If politicians were really 'protecting', Msia won't be in this state, says PSM
PSM Youth Secretary, Gandipan Nantha Gopalan says politicians should focus on issues involving its citizens rather than trying to be "protectors" of their race. File pic
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) Youth Secretary, Gandipan Nantha Gopalan said politicians should focus on issues involving its citizens rather than trying to be "protectors" of their race.
"Lately there are dialogues among youths and people on how the race-based political parties who have been claiming to be protectors and championing their race are lagging behind in protecting.
"They are not talking about the minimum wage, affordability of houses, employment issues so I think they are slowly loosing their relevance in Malaysia and youths are looking at how politicians champion the rights of the people. This is the trend now in Malaysia," he said to Sinar Daily.
Youth unemployment in Malaysia reached 12.5 percent in 2020, up from 10.5% in 2019 and 10.7-10.9% in 2015-2018.
Youths aged 15-24 of all educational levels endured the widest decline in mean salary, registering a -13.7 percent change from RM1,793 in 2019 to RM1,547 in 2020. The next most affected is the 25-34 age group with a -12.9 percent change, from RM2,916 to RM2,538
This came after Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal was reported saying that Malays need a "protector" in the form of similar-minded identity politics since they were not ready to embrace full-fledged democracy due of their mentality.
He had also said the Chinese community also votes with a communal protector in mind, as seen in DAP.
Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman slammed Wan Fayhsal, stating it is an outdated view no longer relevant to today’s politics.
Syed Saddiq said the “protector” approach is a common tactic among the country’s older politicians to pitch for support from the majority of Bumiputeras – the “sons of the soil” who account for over 60% of Malaysia’s 32 million population.
He said Wan Fayhsal's statement was instilling fear, anxiety, and insecurity among the Malays and it will split the votes and support of Malaysians for parties that carry the voices of all Malaysians, like Muda.
Meanwhile, DAP Socialist Youth chief Dr Kelvin Yii said that Wan Fayhsal was stirring up racially divisive sentiments instead of promoting harmony among communities in Malaysia.
