Malaysia Forum

In his delightful British accent and sense of humour, Karim Raslan reveals that his pre-election travels to Sabah, Sarawak, and the West and East Coasts have brought him into contact with many young Malaysians — and that they have more to say about politics than many believe, or want to believe. Taking back his prediction that the 2008 Elections would have been “non-epochal,” Karim (not Mr. Karim Raslan — he’s only 43!) explains that our growingly-emboldened young voters have, and will continue to change the political landscape of Malaysia by increasingly asserting their voices in various spaces.

Karim advocates that young people with common goals continue to strive and to act, and also to network (globally!) for a more international, diverse reach — across different cultures, languages, regions, and religions. Karim also answers questions about the importance of speaking native languages (deriving from his vast Indonesian experience), term limits, checks and balances, the role of a free media, the monarchy (-ies), youth movements in Southeast Asia (and learning from them), and our seeming attraction towards strong (if not authoritarian) leaders. Did I mention his boyish charm and British accent?

Posted by andrewlza / NMF 2008