Younger generation too comfortable with good times, less interested in politics - Tun M

PUTRAJAYA - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says the younger generation’s lack of interest in politics is because they are too comfortable with the good times at present.

"When they are comfortable, they just accept what is around them, but we must make young people aware that maybe what they have now will not be the same in the future," he said when appearing as a panellist at the ‘Minggu Negarawan’ programme held in conjunction with the 2023 National Month here, today.

Dr Mahathir said the younger generation needed to learn about the history of the previous generation's struggle to gain independence and free the country from colonialism.

Political analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, who was also one of the panellists, said that the division in society due to political differences was unhealthy, and needed to be overcome by finding common ground.

"This is to maintain unity and (the situation) needs to be remedied immediately for the sake of the country. We have to defend the peace and security of the country," he said.

Meanwhile, when met by reporters after the programme, Dr Mahathir said he had cooperated with the authorities to carry out an investigation over alleged disparaging remarks made against the royal institution as published by a news portal on June 6.

Dr Mahathir said he had given his statement to the police at his office at Yayasan Al-Bukhary, Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Yesterday, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain confirmed that he had recorded Dr Mahathir's statement and informed that the case was being investigated by the Classified Criminal Investigation Unit, Division D5 of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. - BERNAMA