Penang Forum seeks youth participation in climate change

GEORGE TOWN: The civil society here is trying to engage the young to participate in social concerns addressing climate change and high income disparities.

Considering the voting age of Malaysians has been reduced to 18 from 21, Penang Forum executive council member Khoo Salma Nasution said it was only natural that the younger lot get involved in all things that matter as it is their future which will be at stake.

“We hope the young understand the future is at stake for them, and that we, the present forum (activists), may no longer be around,” she said.

Khoo added that the forum had been reaching out to the young, for their participation, ideas and feedback, but to no avail.

She said the Forum is trying to get the state to look at the causes, to conserve, preserve and mitigate calamities rather than approve more building development projects.

She said Penang has been experiencing a heatwave over the past three years, along with aggressive weather patterns which have triggered forceful thunderstorms, flash floods and landslides.

These have led to loss of lives and displacement of residents, forcing the state to spend millions on mitigation works.

To that, a state DAP Youth spokesman said the Forum’s struggle was laudable but felt the movement is driven more by idealism than by realism.

“The state needs to generate quality jobs and expand to sustain economic growth. There are no rewards in just conserving or preserving the past.

“What the state needs is to strike a balance between development and protection of the environment.”