Malaysia’s democratic deficit: why youth may not be the answer

Young Malaysians, particularly ethnic-Malay Muslims, have demonstrated limited commitment overall to progressive politics in recent years, notwithstanding the centrality of a subset of Malaysian youth to pro-democratic activism. We explore the factors underlying this apparent ambivalence, particularly following Malaysia’s first-ever change of government by election in 2018, then that administration’s collapse in 2020. We investigate the relative effect of national issues in swaying youth sentiment, political mobilization along lines of communal and religious identity, and approaches to leadership, in the context of broader attitudinal measures, to explain apparent generational differences. Towards that end, we draw on surveys of Malaysians broadly and under the age of 30 specifically, as well as election results. Our findings provide insight into the choices young Malaysian voters have made, and the implications of those choices, especially as the recent reduction in the voting age from 21 to 18 further amplifies youth voices. All told, continuity in ethnonationalist sentiment, however much overlaid and tempered by generational and regional effects, suggest deeper structural and governance changes will be needed to sustain a new political order.