Radicalism and extremism, while they are dangers, they exist in every society on some level.
– Edward Snowden, American computer intelligence consultant
When talking about the topic of youth radicalism and its emphasis, I am reminded of the days of the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.
The wave of discontentment brought about by the opposition then – notable figures from the parties that form Pakatan Harapan (PH) has seeped into the minds of varsity students.
I was a student leader, being elected to the student council at the time. Although I did not reach the heights of notable youth figures, I served the university and fellow students.
Back then, it was noticeable how politicised student-run associations were at universities, particularly in Malaya.
The student leaders there jumped on the bandwagon and were opinionated on current matters which were on the mouths of the people.
Among the issues then were the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) abolishment, whereby vocal youth leaders were lobbying for the study loans to be written off.
Similarly, was the issue of the Universities and University College’s Act (AUKU) which was seen as being draconian and restrictive for political activities on the campus.
The issues that played then pretty much shaped the mindset of the youths of that generation.
I still remember how much the more politically savvy counterparts in my student council often idolised controversial youth figures such as Adam Adli, Fahmi Zainol and Syed Saddiq.
They were talking about how ‘brave’ these figures were in shaking up the generation through incidences which landed them in hot soup.
These were such as climbing the fences of their campuses to hold protests against the federal government, particularly the allegations against Najib.
It was a damning indication to the radicalisation in the thinking of youth in the country despite constant efforts to drum support for the BN government.
We know the issue is there and that the radicalisation is happening but then again, simply put, the damage is done.
This is not helped by political parties at the time (read Pakatan parties) who clamoured that they were the sole and exclusive fighters for youth rights. They did not have the benefit of hindsight then.
Now, it is clear that these controversial youth figures have their political inclinations, they were not doing it for the youths – but rather for their own political milage and somewhat, political future.
When BN fell and PH ascended, the issues that purportedly plagued the youths was not solved despite their initial promise. They did not walk the talk.
While these youth figures, who were ardent supporters of PH, tried to save face by signalling initial pushbacks, in the end, they relented and had to toe the party line. They became the very thing that they opposed.
The worry now is that the radicalisation of youth continues to be an issue. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mohd Yusof Apdal reportedly said about 80 per cent of those arrested by police were under the age of 40.
Based on data since January 2020, he said 246 people were charged with terrorism-related cases, with 199 found guilty and sentenced for various offences.
Forty-seven others were arrested under the Prevention of Crime Act while 36 were charged with the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
I view youths as a generation that is filled with ideals and convictions and they strongly believe in these particular causes.
What is worrying is the constant misinformation that we see on social media are negatively impacting these youths and shaping them to be more partial on matters than they are supposed to.
This means only consuming information that support their confirmation biases and ignoring the importance of analysing the views from both sides of the political divide.
There is no denying the larger interest and emphasis given to politics in the country whereby every Tom, Dick and Harry thinks that they know better than the leaders in government.
Regardless, with increased interest, there is a need for the people, particularly youths to understand the democratic process and how politics works.
This does not mean that they should only sit on the fences, but to carefully observe, study and keep abreast of the discussion that is happening.
They cannot be blindly supporting a cause or opposing just because it is the trendy thing to do. That would be irresponsible and does not inspire confidence for the generation which will one day replace the current leaders.
With better access to information and the willingness be impartial – to take into account the views of others, the issue of youth radicalism can be curbed.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
