Young people must dare to change

Young people can determine whether a country rises or falls, but their energy and impatience can also make them vulnerable to manipulation. They may be urged to take to the streets in the name of freedom, while some join protests simply to avoid being labelled cowardly or excluded by their peers.

The article warns that loud voices are often elevated as champions, especially when they appear willing to provoke or use force. Yet some young people follow along without understanding the issues involved. Society, the writer argues, often blames others because blaming is easier than solving problems. People want change, but do not always want to work for it.

The writer made these observations after hosting a visit from the Indonesian Youth Excursion Network, which brings Indonesian school and university students to Malaysia to broaden their experience. It was the group’s 27th visit to the International Islamic University Malaysia, where the writer discussed youth movements and sustainable development.

One participant asked how to build an outstanding generation when the education system itself remains troubled and fails to empower young people. The writer says the question also reflects Malaysia’s situation. Some students complain that certain teachers focus on salaries and performance indicators, while examination candidates preparing for higher-order thinking questions are sometimes told to memorise sets of expected answers.

That approach may make marking easier, the article says, but leaves students learning by rote rather than developing the critical minds needed to reason about what they study. Young people therefore need the courage to change, alongside the wisdom to think before they act.