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Committees National Young Lawyers Putik Lada: Have faith in the young – empower them
Committees National Young Lawyers Putik Lada: Have faith in the young – empower them 
| Putik Lada: Have faith in the young – empower them |
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| Contributed by Dipendra A/L Harshad Rai | |
| Friday, 05 December 2008 04:04pm | |
 ©The
Star (Used by permission)PUTIK LADA WITH H.R DIPENDRA Empowering the younger generation should encompass the raising of spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and communities. IF AT all Barack Obama’s election as the 44th President of the US can teach us Malaysians anything, it should be this: empowerment and inclusiveness is vital in bringing positive change. Positive change can result in an integrated and progressive society. Instead of sloganeering on how a minority has triumphed in a mighty nation, Malaysians should look deeper at the factors that made Obama’s candidacy a successful one. These factors will indeed mirror what it would take to make Malaysia and its citizens successful and able to withstand all challenges. Ever since the results of the 12th general election, we all, in one way or another, grappled, and had to come to terms with the changes in our political setting. Politicians from all divides pursued various self-promoting ideologies, yet at the same time making sure the traditional and archaic mantras echoed in the minds of Malaysians. Somehow we are expected to accept that the events which shaped us in the past 50 years are the sole raison d’etre as we start charting the next 50 years. With more than 40% of the country consisting of Malaysians under the age of 35, should we not empower the young in our decision making? Empowering the younger generation cannot necessarily be limited to political participation. Often, as is with political hierarchies, younger views are drowned out. What does empowerment in this context mean? Is it of any practical relevance in Malaysia? Empowerment refers to the raising of spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and communities. Empowerment also involves ensuring that the young develop confidence in their own respective capacities. Empowerment also means that each and every one of us are able to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making and having positive thinking on the ability to make change. In other words, empowerment is the process that allows young Malaysians to gain the knowledge, know-how and character needed to cope with the ever changing world and the global circumstances in which Malaysians are a part of. Only through empowerment can we emancipate ourselves from mental slavery, ignorance and stagnation. How can empowerment apply here? The concept of empowerment is broad enough to apply to all facets of the social order. However, I only wish to pick three instances which are extremely important insofar as the younger generation is concerned: education, technology and the Rule of Law. Empowerment through education means that education cannot be used as a tool to shackle and curb the enthusiasm of the young. Empowerment through education should be used to ensure that we achieve academic excellence, and with that excellence the ability to think positively. Whether we dabble in the fields of science and technology or in arts and literature, the ability to think creatively will only ensure that we stand out from the rest. For instance, how do we expect students to master more than two languages when we do not offer options in schools? By removing English literature, we deprived generations of the value of a Shakespearean education. Or for that matter the beauty of Malay literature as encapsulated in the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. We encourage rote-learning at the expense of creative and positive thinking without realising that rote-learning is of little application in a globalised world. Empowering the young through technology means that Malaysia will be better equipped to be a leader in the field of information technology. Many countries have used technology to better themselves by acquiring the much needed knowledge. We should not be different. How many government policies encourage empowerment of its citizens through knowledge? Empowerment through the rule of law ensures that we can all speak and push ideas across without fear. There is nothing more appalling than the constant fear of brute force every time an idea that at first blush appears to challenge the order of the day is proposed. It will also mean that we recognise that we have various rights to cater for and, yes, it is possible that through constant discussion and understanding, the rights of everyone can peacefully co-exist. By empowering young Malaysians in the three instances above, I am confident that young Malaysians can ably assist in helping Malaysia meet all its challenges internally and externally. Every time we successfully deal with a challenge, we all better ourselves for the future. Ever mindful that every challenge is unique and cannot be solved using a narrow-minded single approach, empowering the young will provide the much needed options for the Government to explore. Indeed such options are sorely lacking today. The sooner we realise that we all live on borrowed time, the better it will be for Malaysia. That way, when we create long-term policies, we will do so with the benefit of the younger generation in mind. As we do so, we will also realise the value of empowering the young. Only then can we call ourselves a developed nation. * The writer is a member of the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC). Putik Lada, or pepper buds in Malay, captures the spirit and intention of this column – a platform for young lawyers to articulate their views and aspirations about the law, justice and a civil society. For more information about the young lawyers, please visit www.malaysianbar.org.my/nylc. Set as favourite Share Email This Comments (0)
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