Helping our youths belong
And how to stop the youth drain
What goes through the minds of Malaysian youths when they ponder the state of the nation? Are they hopeful? Optimistic? Confident? Or are they in dread and despair?
Between July and August last year, a quantitative survey was conducted to find answers to these questions and more. Specifically, it aimed to "unearth young Malaysians' life values, hopes and aspirations for the present and future; understand (their) attitudes towards and aspirations for national unity in Malaysia, inclusive of racial, religious and social integration; and to understand (their) attitudes towards the education system in Malaysia, and how this contributes positively or negatively to national unity in Malaysia."
Called the National Unity Study on Young Malaysians, the survey covered 1,000 Malaysians aged between 18 and 35 in urban and rural Peninsula Malaysia. It was jointly conducted by the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) of the Asian Strategic Leadership Institute (ASLI) and the National Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC) of the Bar Council.
Results of the survey were unveiled this April and among other things, it indicated increasing racial and religious polarisation among our youths. Even more worrying is that the younger age group prefers to mix more within their own ethnic and religious groups compared with the older age group.
Berita NECF spoke to CPPS Senior Research Analyst Tricia Yeoh who was at the forefront of the survey. A Christian, Tricia shared her thoughts on how churches can help Christian youths gain a sense of belonging to the country and play a more active role in helping to strengthen national unity.
1) Do you see the parallel between Malaysian youths and Malaysian Christian youths? If you had conducted the survey on our Christian youths, would you have obtained similar results?
I do think that Malaysian Christian youths are generally similar to Malaysian youths. It is the entire Malaysian education system that has bred a generation of youths - Christian or not - who are largely more comfortable interacting with friends of similar ethnic groups. In fact, if there is anything that Christians are more exclusive about is that their religious and church activities isolate them even further from peers of different backgrounds.
The unfortunate trend is that Christian youths eventually mix with people of their own kind without being encouraged to interact with people from vastly different backgrounds. Inter-ethnic and inter-religious interaction should be cultivated from all fronts, and the Church should be playing a larger role in promoting the same sort of 'unity' it prescribes to the Church.
2) National unity is a big load to digest, not just for the youths but the adults as well. Can you put the phrase in a simpler way that is easily grasped?
In a simpler way, national unity can be understood as different community groups - ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, regional - living together in a state of harmony and peace. This does not mean that each community needs to give up its respective cultural tradition and practice. The phrase 'unity in diversity' encapsulates this, by showing that each community needs to take pride in his or her individual characteristics that make up that community.
3) Would you agree that a major contributing factor to the weak national unity is the lack of patriotic spirit among our youths, including our Christian youths?
That is only a partial truth, that there is a lack of patriotic spirit among our youths (and Christian youths). This is only an indication of a greater and deeper problem underlying our nation. As maintained in our *report's recommendations, many (government) policies have been instrumental in dividing the nation into respective ethnic communities, through economic and education (and other) policies.
It is really a systemic problem, and less of a personal one, where over the last decades, institutional systems have eroded democratic space in Malaysia. The youths especially were disillusioned and disempowered to change things (this has changed since the elections this year), thereby leading to the lack of patriotism in the country. Once youths feel that they are empowered to alter situations, they will increasingly engage themselves in issues of public interest. Patriotism has to be tied to how the country treats them in return.
4) How have Christian parents and church leaders affected our youths' attitude (either positively or negatively) towards national unity?
I may be a little critical on this and I hope that Christian parents and leaders will take this as constructive criticism. Whilst the Church has done an excellent job in teaching biblical values to their youths, I do feel that other aspects of biblical truths have not been sufficiently focused upon in affecting Christian youths' attitudes towards national unity. For example, although Christianity teaches God's love, compassion and generosity, the Church could do more in educating youths on how they can likewise treat their peers with love, care and respect, in a non-discriminatory manner.
They should also be encouraged to increase interethnic and inter-religious interaction, through dialogue and conversation and activities. Many times, these activities will take place outside the church setting - through community projects, working on social issues for the needy. Emphasis should also be placed on interaction with people outside their social and educational classes - the poor, needy and downtrodden. Youths should also be taught to refrain from making any negative statements about other religious and cultural practices, as these inherently affect their relationships with peers of other races and religions. Church leaders could certainly do more by encouraging youths to look beyond their differences and focus on common shared values.
5) Following from Q. 4, we often hear about Christian parents who send their children overseas to study and then urging them not to return. How damaging is this to the Malaysian Church and its nation-building efforts?
I do understand many Christian parents' concerns about the Malaysian education system, and its future career prospects (or lack thereof). I do not judge their decisions to do so, but the more important question is: What is God's vision for the country, and where can we, as His hands and feet, fit in? If we strongly believe that the Malaysian Church has a significant role to play in nation-building, then efforts should be channelled to that end. This is a more long-term, forwardlooking model for all Christian parents. For example, young adults could be encouraged to gain experience abroad first, with the ultimate end goal of returning to contribute to the nation.
In this technologically-driven modern society, nationbuilding can also take place through a number of ways. For example, those who write prolifically from abroad, providing technical and intellectual assistance to those who are physically based in Malaysia themselves. I therefore don't think it's as clear cut as only being able to contribute to the cause in Malaysia. The more macro question is: Where do I see myself fitting into nation-building processes, from wherever I am, in whatever capacity I can?
6) Someone commented that our churches seem to be working against unity by keeping our youths busy with activities that prevent them from interacting with others outside the church. An example quoted is the homeschooling programmes run in churches and centres that are becoming increasingly popular these days. Furthermore, churches and Christian organi-sations try hard to get them to go to their conferences and other activities. Your response, please.
I think I've answered this in another question above (see Q. 4). Churches do an excellent job in teaching spirituality to youths, and this is of utmost importance to build up their spiritual foundations from a young age to withstand life's challenges in the future. I do however believe that it is becoming increasingly necessary to broaden the scope of 'church activities' in their traditional sense of the word.
The Church still plays a very important role in building up one's personal relationship with God, and acts as 'family and home' for young Christians. However, justice can only be done to these values if they are practised and executed outside of the 'home'. The 'field', to borrow Christian jargon, is not only out in a third-world country where mission groups flock to, but it is right here in Malaysia.
Churches should explore groundbreaking ideas of how to encourage youths to unite with their peers, and help youths identify which are the most appropriate places to do so: in their schools, residential community areas, working on projects with fellow youths of other faiths to support the poor or other communities like street children, refugees and migrant workers. The Church could perhaps see itself as training ground to teach important spiritual values to the youth, and then thereafter being the coach, guide, mentor, for projects that unite them with other youths. These collaborative efforts will not only shine God's light into the world, but will teach Christian youths to apply what they have intellectually known to society at large. Malaysia is ripe for such dynamic interaction, and I hope the Church is able to respond in a timely manner.
The Malaysian Church must caution against the 'Church' merely becoming a place to breed a middle-class apathetic outlook to society, one that is no different from the world in its conscious pursuit of materialism and wealth alone.
Again, I return to the question of whether we see ourselves as active participants in the quest towards God's vision for Malaysia. If God's vision for humanity at large is for reconciliation - between mankind, between man and nature, and between man and God (reversing the destruction at the Fall) - then the Church must actively pursue this end in Malaysia itself. I truly believe that youths have a tremendous role to play in this reconciliation process.
Imagine dynamic, active, idealistic, passionate Christian youths wanting great peace and harmony for the country through all their available talents: writing, organising workshops, camps, educational talks about current social affairs, bridging the current gap between the Muslims and Christians through dialogue, discussion and interaction.
The Church is beginning a most interesting journey, along with Malaysia, and it would be wise to re-evaluate the focus of youth programmes and projects. Spirituality is both inside and out: spirituality encompasses God's relationship with us individually, but it is equally a spiritual affair to promote unity with those outside the Church.
* More information on the report.
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