An Antidote to Deglobalisation: Conceptualising Youth Activism in Malaysia

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, regional dissatisfaction with globalisation has resulted in increasing public backlash against existing political systems and domestic policies, which proved conducive to the stifling of civil rights by authoritarian governments. Malaysia has experienced the benefits of globalisation after decades of affirmative action policies and economic liberalism, the result of which is that a generation of digitally interconnected youth has been heavily influenced by these benefits. Similar to its regional counterparts, Malaysia recently witnessed increased regression in terms of local democratic processes, where the rise of populist and authoritarian movements was coupled with rising living costs and unemployment rates. In this environment, civic engagement and youth activism played important roles in safeguarding human rights and alleviating falling standards of living. This chapter examines the relationship between illiberalism, deglobalisation as well as the increase in activism and engagement by examining student- and youth-led social movements and campaigns, both during and before the onset of local Covid-19 lockdowns.