"We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future" – Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Young people are the greatest assets of a nation and active participation of the youths is very important to strengthen the nation’s democracy. But how about giving them actual responsibility today as part of our country’s democratic governance with the formation of an official Youth Shadow Cabinet?

Is it crucial for Malaysia to implement the Youth Shadow Cabinet officially and how would this bring a change to our nation?

Come 29 July, the youths themselves will debate on this issue. The debate on Youth Shadow Cabinet is part of a series in this year’s Youth Parliamentary Debathon, a programme that simulates a parliamentary seating where participating debaters play the role of a member of Parliament (MP), either as a government MP or as an opposition MP.

What is a youth shadow cabinet? It is a group of young people who are elected to serve as a symbolic opposition to the government's cabinet. Members of the youth shadow cabinet hold regular meetings to discuss current issues and develop policy proposals that they believe would benefit young people and society as a whole.

In essence, the youth shadow cabinet is the youth version of the shadow cabinet, a feature of the Westminster system of government such as practiced in Malaysia and other Commonwealth nations.

The shadow cabinet typically comprises a senior group of Opposition MPs who form an alternative cabinet to that of the government, and whose members shadow or mirror the positions of individual member of the actual Cabinet. While the shadow cabinet has no executive powers, it plays an important role of scrutinising the policies and actions of the ruling government, holding the government accountable for its actions and responses, as well as offer alternative policies.

The concept of a shadow cabinet is relatively new in Malaysian politics and is to-date still not officially recognised by the government. The first shadow cabinet ever to be formed in Malaysia was established only in 26 September 2018.

The Youth Parliamentary Debathon debate on the issue of an official Youth Shadow Cabinet will take place on 29 July 2023 virtually via 3D metaverse of the Dewan Rakyat. The event will be livestreamed on Malaysiakini and event partners’ social media.

We encourage all interested parties to attend and participate in the discussion. Members of the audience will also be able to vote for the motions they agree with through a voting platform. This is symbolic, to show that in a democratic society, each citizen’s vote counts.

Youth Parliamentary Debathon 2023 is proudly championed by our Changemaker Partner, The Body Shop Malaysia, which is hugely known for pioneering social change as well as empowering youths towards successful nation-building.

As youths are the future of the nation, the brand believes in youth representation in both local and national policies, to give the world a better chance of properly addressing the most pressing social challenges.

The organiser and Soft Skill Training Partner of the event, the Malaysian Institute of Debate & Public Speaking (MIDP), will shortlist and divide the debaters into groups of 5 versus 5, representing the government and the opposition.

About Youth Parliamentary Debathon

The Youth Parliamentary Debathon series aims to empower youths aged 16-25, and discusses important issues in Malaysia through a parliamentary simulation where participants will play the role of legislators. The Debathon series aims to improve political literacy among Malaysian youths and to encourage more active involvement in policymaking. This event provides the platform for youths to share their views and suggestions in regards to the current laws and policies in Malaysia.

Through this programme, the youths have the opportunity to increase their awareness and knowledge of the law-making process, while exposing them to the rules, procedures and ethics that need to be adhered to in every parliamentary proceeding. The YPD series was also held in 2019 and 2022.

The 2023 Youth Parliamentary Debathon is organised by Malaysiakini, and KiniEvents. Event Partners include The Body Shop Malaysia as Changemaker Partner, and Taylor’s College as the Youth Empowerment Partner, supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Experiential Design Team (EDT) as the Metaverse Partner, Malaysian Institute of Debate and Public Speaking (MIDP) as the Soft Skills Training partner, UndiSabah, Undi18, The Risers, Institutes of Research and Development of Policy (IRDP), and Malaysian Youth Association for Diplomacy and Policy (MYADP).

To find out more about partnership opportunities with Parliamentary Debathon 2023, please email us at [email protected].

For any enquiries, please contact the event producer Iman Ridzwan ([email protected]) or event coordinator Shuhada Natasha ([email protected]).