The Edge | KUALA LUMPUR, 01-July-2009: A survey carried out by public opinion pollster Merdeka Center found that Malaysian youths have become less confident that their vote can influence the government.
The National Youth Survey 2008, which polled 2,518 Malaysians aged 20 to 35 years old, found that while a higher percentage of youth — from 72% in 2007 to 77% in 2008 — are aware of the impact of government decisions in their daily lives, they are also less confident that their vote can affect change. When asked how much of a difference their vote makes in influencing the government, only 64% of respondents last year said their votes could make a difference, a 16% drop compared to 80% in 2007.
Political apathy was also prominent among the youth surveyed. Among those polled, 44% were not registered to vote, and when asked why they had not, half of them replied that they were busy or have other commitments, while just over a quarter replied that they were indifferent or negative towards national politics.
Distrusting of mainstream media
The survey also found that while most Malaysian youths were up to date with current news, almost half of respondents said that they do not trust the mainstream media when it comes to news on political and current affairs.
The survey found that about half of the respondents read newspapers or watched television news programmes at least four times a week, but 49% of them did not trust the reporting carried out by mainstream media, as they perceive the reports to show bias towards certain political parties.
Contrary to popular sentiment, however, only 44% of respondents said they relied on the Internet for their news, even though 70% of them had access to the Internet. Of those who surfed the Internet for news, only half of them said they access the news at least four days a week. Among the news sites, 39% said that mainstream Malay-language sites like Bernama and Berita Harian were their favourite sites, compared to only 9% who preferred alternative news sites like Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider.
The survey about the views, values, and consumption habits of the nation’s youth was carried out via telephone between November and December 2008.
For a full report of The National Youth Survey, visit the Merdeka Center website.