‘My focus is on their economic situation’: Candidates woo youth voters with promises of jobs in Malaysia GE15

Generally, parties have been trying to appeal to young voters by fielding younger candidates and offering promises to the youth through their party manifestos. 

However, GE15 is taking place when the economic outlook still appears dim for many youths.

According to economists, it has become considerably harder for young Malaysian job seekers to find employment compared to the overall population.

Consequently, many of them end up as gig workers in jobs where there is underutilisation of their skills and experiences.

Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate for the Pekan federal seat, Mohd Fadhil Noor, echoes the need for the next government to create better job opportunities for the youths.

The 43-year-old candidate said that in the case of Pekan, Pahang, there are already factories for automobiles, but more still can be done by building factories for processing rubber, palm oil and rice paddy.

“If there are more factories, then there will be a lot of jobs created. Old people don’t work in factories; it’s mostly younger people.

“We can build a factory, accommodation and surau (prayer room) so it can be a community,” he said.

In a Facebook post, deputy commissioner of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), a PN component party, Dr Alias Razak pointed out that the coalition is offering more than 20 youth-related incentives and programmes if elected in GE15.

“We are committed to creating one million high-income job opportunities in the digital economy sector for young people,” he said.

Polling Day is on Nov 19 while early voting will take place on Nov 15.