KLEBANG, Nov 10 — A culture of political hatred, indiscriminate attacks on opponents and unfulfilled election promises are among the factors leaving some young Malaysians increasingly disillusioned with the country's political landscape.
Malaysian Youth Parliament member Harris Daniel Hermee believes the situation could undermine young people's confidence in political leadership, particularly when political rivalry appears to focus more on individual popularity than issues affecting the public.
He said the frustration deepens when promises made during election campaigns fail to translate into action, creating the perception that politicians across party lines are no different from one another.
"Some young people feel that all politicians are the same because they may have failed to fulfil the promises made during elections. This ultimately leads to disappointment," he told Media Selangor in an exclusive interview recently.
Harris also acknowledged that the behaviour of some politicians on social media, particularly those appearing more concerned with boosting their popularity, has caused resentment among young people.
"These days, social media is filled with politicians' behaviour or posts that seem intended to raise their profiles. Some young people reject this, and the feeling of being fed up with politics is very real.
"As citizens and young people, we can sometimes judge these actions for ourselves, and these are not the kind of leaders we want. But we also need to consider whether this reflects their true character or is merely an act to build their personal brand," he said.
He therefore stressed the need to strengthen political literacy so that young people are not easily swayed by current controversies but can instead critically assess policies, leadership proposals and their responsibilities as voters.
"Political issues and understanding need to be explained through collaborative programmes. The Election Commission (EC), in particular, and other neutral agencies should organise programmes to help people understand politics, why voting matters and why they need to choose a party and candidate," he said.
Concerns over negative political culture were also shared by Eelda Nur Andreanna, 22, who said attacks on political opponents and the exploitation of sentiments during elections were not what the younger generation wanted.
She said young people were now capable of assessing politicians' actions without necessarily siding with any party and instead wanted a more mature political environment.
"I wouldn't necessarily say we're fed up, but we are now capable of making our own assessments. For example, we may not support any particular party, but whenever there's an election, politicians seem determined to attack one another, using sentiments and narratives to discredit their opponents.
"We don't want that kind of situation. As young people, we need to establish a new political culture. It is our responsibility to choose the next generation of leaders for the generations to come," she said.
In a political landscape increasingly shaped by social media, the spread of provocative content has also become a challenge to fostering mature political discussions.
According to the Digital 2026 report by DataReportal, We Are Social and Meltwater, Malaysia had approximately 30.7 million social media user identities as of October 2025.
During the 15th General Election (GE15), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) reportedly removed 101 provocative social media posts, while 12 investigation papers were opened.
Between 2022 and April 30, 2026, a total of 8,540 pieces of content involving race, religion and royalty (3R) were removed from various social media platforms, according to figures disclosed in Parliament by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
Beyond political culture, concerns over their future and well-being have also emerged as key priorities among young Malaysians.
For Ahmad@Abdul Haiyee Hassan, 26, youth participation in politics should carry greater meaning than merely adding to voter numbers during elections.
He said young people wanted their views to be heard and expected solutions to issues directly affecting their lives, including employment opportunities, better incomes and bureaucratic hurdles.
"More opportunities should be created for young people to express their views directly. We know that today's younger generation, particularly Generation Z, is very much driven by technology.
"They want less bureaucracy and the ability to communicate directly with the leaders they have elected.
"Young people want to know how they can secure good job opportunities after graduation and earn more comfortable salaries," he said.
For the record, automatic voter registration for Malaysian citizens upon reaching the age of 18 came into effect on December 15, 2021.
In September 2026 alone, the EC recorded 44,987 newly registered voters through the automatic registration system.
Based on EC data from 2023, more than six million registered voters were young people aged between 18 and 30.
The growing number of young voters underscores the importance of their participation in the democratic process and reinforces the need to address their views and the issues affecting their lives.
