BUTTERWORTH: Young voters need to improve their political literacy so that every vote they cast is based on knowledge and understanding and not influenced by sentiment or viral content on social media.
Youth Justice Force chief Mohd Kamil Munim said the right to vote, guaranteed under the Constitution, was a great trust and needed to be used wisely because every decision made would determine the direction of the country.
The Political Secretary to the Finance Minister said this matter was very important, especially for the younger generation who would be fulfilling their responsibilities as voters for the first time in the upcoming elections.
“This opportunity needs to be utilized to the fullest because every vote we cast will determine the direction we take forward.”
“If we don’t know what we are voting for or choosing, it means we don’t have political literacy,” he said during the POV Anak Muda: Anak Muda dan Ketatupatian Realiti Series 2 Northern Zone programme here on Saturday.
At the same time, Mohd Kamil said the younger generation should not judge the truth of information solely based on the number of likes, shares or popularity of a content on social media as a determinant of the truth of information.
On the contrary, he said the group needed to cultivate the attitude of examining information, understanding the policies offered and evaluating the records and capabilities of the parties contesting before making decisions in the election.
The one-day program brought together approximately 950 participants and served as a platform for dialogue between young people, policymakers and analysts in discussing issues of cost of living, employment, the economy, access to information and the challenges of the digital landscape.
— BERNAMA
