HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
“There are many areas that we still need to earnestly push for reform, but I don’t believe we should be cynical or give up on these efforts. We need to keep persevering. After all, women are famously known for resilience. We can’t give up just because something seems impossible.”
“Power to me means responsibility. It means giving back to the community so that we can keep going forward,” says Nur Qyira Yusri, Co-Founder and Education Director at UNDI 18. Aiming to bridge the gap between politicians, policymakers, and youth, UNDI18 successfully advocated for the amendment of Article 119(1) of the Federal Constitution, reducing the minimum voting age in the nation from 21 to 18 years old.
Although legislation has changed, Qyira’s work is far from over. “We are currently preparing for the General Election, which we think will happen this year. It is important to ramp up our voter education programmes as some remain unaware that they are now automatically registered and qualify as long as they are 18 and above.” Qyira and her team are poised to go down to the ground to educate people about their rights.
She believes that although women play an important role in Malaysia’s democratic system, the nation is very far behind when it comes to empowering women. “There are many areas that we still need to earnestly push for reform, but I don’t believe we should be cynical or give up on these efforts. We need to keep persevering. Af ter all, women are famously known for resilience. We can’t give up just because something seems impossible,” the young advocate resolves.
“Women are often the frontline of important movements such as the Women’s March, the fight for Anti-Sexual Harassment laws, even the effort to advocate for paternity leave. Women play a critical role in advocating for other women, their families and the community. It is thus essential to take into account women's voice when it comes to policy and lawmaking,” Qyira explains.
If Qyira had one wish for the nation, it would be to institute a political funding law. “I believe this would help us combat a lot of distrust we have in our institutions, par ticularly when it comes to fears of vote-buying. When you have so much distrust, young people don’t participate in politics. We need to make sure that people believe in our political institutions again, and these are the kind of reforms that would be a good first step towards that.”
Melissa Ngiam leads Yayasan Generasi Gemilang alongside a team of talented, passionate individuals with a shared conviction for the
causes they champion. Founded in 2011, the Malaysian-based charitable foundation focuses on education and providing basic needs for vulnerable communities.
“In t he last year, we have seen widening inequalit y gaps. In food insecurit y, literacy (worsening as many are unable to catch up solely via online l earning), and access to quality early childhood development oppor tunities,” Melissa explains. As a result, t he NGO is committed to filling the gaps through new initiatives.
“We aim to provide daily meals to 1,000 students experiencing food insecurity in schools across the Klang Valley, Perlis, Perak and East Malaysia. By working with schools, we hope to observe an increase in school attendance. We want to ensure children have not only their tummies filled but also their minds,” the young advocate explains.
Yayasan Generasi Gemilang is also working to build a collaboration network of like-minded individuals, groups and organisations with a desire to address literacy issues in local communities. “In sharing our English literacy program, KidzRead, we can observe more children f rom vulnerable communities gain literacy proficiency across t he nation,” Melissa shares with hope.
The NGO is also committed to exploring a new project to address nutrition and developmental deficiencies among young children and toddlers in the B40 community. “Right now, we are working to ensure children reach developmental milestones in their early years before entering school. They enjoy a healthy diet for growth and are equipped with suf ficient school readiness. We believe i n helping parents nur ture their children in a critical age of development, so their children can reap positive impac ts lasting till adulthood."
Asked what advice she would impart to others wanting to lead, Melissa emphasises that maintaining goals and embracing hard work are crucial to accomplishing great things. “However, I have learned that success or failure of my goals does not define my self-worth. I find security in my faith and know even when I falter, I feel love and know I can try again.”
To Melissa, power comes with the responsibility to care for others. “Administering justice to t he oppressed, underserved and protecting those who cannot defend themselves – there is power in valuing others above ourselves.”
“Administering justice to the oppressed, underserved and protecting those who cannot defend themselves – there is power in valuing others above ourselves.”