Far from feeling cowed, Malaysian youths are more likely to take an active role in future demonstrations to press for change, student activists said, pointing to their peers who led the December 31 anti-price hike rally in the national capital.
They may still be students but Malaysia’s teenagers and 20-something-year-olds now directly feel the weight of the government’s policies, said Muhammad Safwan Anang, the leader of Solidariti Mahasiswa Muda (SMM).
“In our opinion, it is true that this has been a long time coming. The students are angry, they are pressured by the spiralling cost of living,” Safwan told The Malay Mail Online in a phone interview.
“So when they had the opportunity to walk the streets, they have no problem to do it together… They are no longer afraid despite warnings from the authorities.”
Another prominent student activist, Adam Adli Abdul Halim, attributed the giant turnout to increased political-awareness among tertiary education students.
“They have a lot of space, lesser baggage [sic], and no vested interests. They have nothing to lose, they believe that (protesting) is their duty and responsibility,” Adam told The Malay Mail Online, in a separate phone interview.
On the eve of 2014, thousands of Malaysian youths comprising mostly tertiary students, marched on the historic Dataran Merdeka to protest government subsidy cuts and price surges in a slew of goods and services that would take effect from January 1, even as salaries remain stagnant.
The police estimated that 5,000 had turned up for the rally, while organiser Gerakan Turun Kos Sara Hidup (Turun) boasted that the attendance was closer to 50,000.
Adam and Safwan, who will both turn 25 this year, suggested that the rally’s success was due to the fundamental nature of its cause as the students would feel the pain of the price hikes trickle down into the cost of food, transport, as well as their education fees.
“It is easier to demonstrate against the rising cost of chicken compared to draconian laws. The comprehension is different,” said Adam.
“Price hikes are linked to our tummy. It is easier to understand, as it is directly our problem.”
Safwan also explained that student movements have decided to get the ball rolling as they have not seen any politician willing to effectively champion the cause.
Adam and Safwan expressed confidence that more students would take part in future rallies regardless of the cause, as they become more exposed to politics and are schooled in the subject.
Both students attributed the phenomenon to the amended Universities and Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA), which now grants more political freedom to university students.
“This would give an image of the student movement in the future… It is not impossible that students will turn up again if requested. It is not impossible that there would be an ever bigger crowd,” Safwan predicted.
“It is up to the students themselves: where do they want to see themselves written in Malaysia’s map of history,” Adam said.
