Why Malaysian youths haven’t taken to the streets

Political fatigue and doubts about whether protests can bring about change may explain why young Malaysians are not taking to the streets, despite sharing many of the frustrations driving demonstrations across Europe, says an academic.

Youth protests have erupted in countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Portugal over low wages, unaffordable housing, rising living costs and problems in education, with some demonstrations even turning violent.

Universiti Malaya political scientist Khoo Ying Hooi, who studies social movements and protests, said that while young Malaysians share many of the same frustrations as their European counterparts, they lack a sustained, independent youth movement organised around economic demands.

Khoo, an associate professor of international relations and human rights, also said Malaysia’s long history of restrictions on student activism and public assemblies has contributed to a “culture of caution”.

“But in our current context and at this juncture, I think it’s more important to consider political fatigue and growing distrust towards political institutions,” she told FMT.

“For younger people, especially those who have grown up witnessing repeated political conflicts and unfulfilled promises, there may be a growing sense that political participation does not necessarily translate into meaningful change.

“Many young Malaysians have grown tired of politics, particularly after the hopes raised by the change of government in 2018 were followed by disappointment and unfulfilled promises.”

She said those struggling with low wages, insecure employment and rising expenses might also have little time or energy to join protests, especially if they doubt their participation would bring about change.

However, Khoo cautioned against mistaking the lack of large-scale street protests for political apathy, saying many young Malaysians continued to express their grievances through social media, issue-based campaigns, electoral participation and community initiatives.

“(But) expressing dissatisfaction and building a sustained movement are two different things. Social media can generate enormous attention within a short period, but that attention does not necessarily translate into lasting organisation or political pressure.

“We may therefore be seeing a generation that is politically frustrated but less connected to the collective organisations needed to sustain large-scale mobilisation.

“That should concern us more than simply asking why young Malaysians are not taking to the streets.”

She said Malaysia’s history of student mobilisation, from the activism of the 1970s to the Reformasi and Bersih movements, showed that large-scale movements are built through sustained organising, shared demands and the ability to forge alliances across different sections of society.

For economic grievances to generate a similarly broad movement, young Malaysians would need to connect their individual experiences of financial insecurity to wider structural concerns about wages, housing, inequality and economic opportunity, Khoo said.

She said this would also require stronger ties among students, young workers, trade unions, civil society organisations and communities across ethnic and social divisions.

International Islamic University Malaysia political scientist Syaza Shukri, who studies youth political behaviour, said frustration over living costs has remained contained partly because the government has shown it is listening.

She pointed to the increase in financial assistance, announced in Budget 2027, as an example, saying Malaysia has yet to reach a point where economic hardship would drive large numbers of people onto the streets.

“Culturally as well, especially for the Malays, we’ve been taught that chaos is worse,” she said.

She said young Malaysians are more comfortable voicing their unhappiness online rather than joining protests, where they risk arrest.

Still, Syaza said low wages and rising living costs could become major political issues, particularly if the opposition capitalises on them. Much would depend on whether people feel their concerns are being heard, she said.

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