By Mu Vitet
KOTA KINABALU: Young Malaysians Movement (YMM) Sabah Chairman Wong Ying Ting said young people prefer leaders who are closer to their age.
He said those 40 and above may find it difficult to fully understand the feelings, aspirations, and needs of young people.
“For the older ones, they can become mentors and share their experiences with younger leaders,” said Wong when commenting on the Sabah polls, where 30 per cent of voters are aged 30 and below.
The current definition of youth in Malaysia is from ages 15 to 30, which will take effect on Jan 1, 2026 following the amendment to the Youth Societies and Youth Development Act 2018.
Wong said seniors should guide younger members to groom them as future leaders who will eventually take over the mantle.
“The mindset of today’s young people is different because they grew up in another era and environment. They are more advanced due to information technology,” he said.
He added that old training methods are no longer suitable.
“The old method was to let them do it first and then correct them if they were wrong.
“The behaviour of the new generation is not the same. They want to be told clearly what they are supposed to do, instead of making mistakes first and then being corrected.
“That was the old style; you let them fall, feel the pain, and then explain the reason,” he said.
Wong said young people are mainly concerned about the lack of job opportunities, low salaries, the high cost of living, and poor Internet connectivity in Sabah, which have pushed many to Kuala Lumpur in search of work after finishing school.
