The 15th general election (GE15) is very crucial because Malaysians are electing the government that would take Malaysia and Sarawak back to normality following the Covid-19 pandemic, said Prof Dr James Chin.
The Professor of Asian Studies from University of Tasmania said that it is therefore important for this election to run smoothly.
“This election is very crucial for two simple reasons. It is the first general election since the pandemic. As we come out of the pandemic this election is even more crucial because we are electing the government that would take Malaysia and Sarawak back to normality.
“Secondly, since 2020, Malaysia has experienced a lot of political instability. Many people are also hoping that with this parliamentary election we will find some form of political stability. All those are issues at the federal level but they will also affect Sarawak,” he said in the online forum titled ‘MA63 & GE15: What do Sarawakians Want?’ last night.
Organised by The Sarawak Initiatives (TSI) via Zoom and livestreamed on its Facebook page, the forum featured Chin as the moderator while six young aspiring leaders contributed their thoughts in what do young Sarawakians want.
The one-hour session was held to dissect and learn what young Sarawakians want not only out of the GE15 but in terms of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and related issues.
The participants were Samuel Desmond Tuah, Syahirah Sulastri Asman, Mohamad Syahrimin, Simon Hiew Xi Zen, Kenneth Lim Lik Chien, and Ivan Alexander Ong.
They also spoke about what they think ‘Sarawak Identity’ is, raising several thought-provoking ideas that impressed Chin.
“I feel a lot assured that as the next generation of leaders are coming up, if all of them are like you, then I would have the full faith that Sarawak will reach its potential,” he told the participants in his conclusion.