- 2 hours ago
A decent salary, an affordable home and room to save. What do young Malaysians want from the upcoming Budget? We speak to Wan Amirah Wan Usamah of Khazanah Research Institute and Hanson Chong of ISIS Malaysia about building a more secure future for young Malaysians.
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00:06Hello and welcome to It's Above You, I'm Amrul Aiman.
00:09Now we are talking about the budget 2027, a salary that covers the bills, a place of your own,
00:17enough savings to handle an emergency and perhaps something left to enjoy life.
00:24These are everyday hopes but for a young person trying to build a future,
00:29how achievable do they feel?
00:32Now with the upcoming budget, we're asking what young Malaysians need
00:36and what government spending can do to help them get ahead.
00:41Now joining me today are Wan Amirah from Kazanah Research Institute
00:45and also Hansen Chong from ISIS Malaysia.
00:49Both of you, thank you for joining us for tonight's discussion.
00:53Amirah, let's start with what young people are hoping for as we look ahead to the budget.
00:58What do you think matters most to young Malaysians right now?
01:02What would you put at the top of their wish list and why?
01:06I think we have to recognise that being a youth in today's world is complex.
01:11They're navigating multiple transitions and it's also in the backdrop of several megatrends,
01:16several crises.
01:17So I think, I mean, we hear a lot about the cost of living
01:19and whether or not what they're earning is enough to live the life that they want.
01:24But I think that's also just a small portion of where the youth issues are
01:29or what the youth challenge is.
01:31For the youth that are, you know, going off to university,
01:33I think they're facing questions about what does this degree mean for me?
01:37How does it sort of translate into the backdrop of technological changes,
01:41industrial development?
01:42Do these degrees still have a place?
01:45For those that are going off into the real world,
01:47how do their current degrees actually translate to real employment quality?
01:52How do they get good wages?
01:54How do they grow and progress in their work?
01:57For those who are just starting a family,
01:59I think there's issues on, okay, how do you find affordable housing?
02:02For those that are dealing with care,
02:04especially as we transition to an ageing nation, you know,
02:08how do you support your ageing parents while balancing a new family
02:12or your aspirations to develop a new family?
02:14So there's a lot of things, I think,
02:16and it's important to recognise that for many different youth,
02:19I think their wish list might look a little different with this upcoming budget.
02:23And Hanson, when someone watches the budget announcement,
02:26the question is often, what does this mean for me, right?
02:30How much can a budget realistically change
02:32a young person's financial situation
02:34and where can it make the biggest difference?
02:38First of all, thank you so much, Amiru, for having me on the show
02:40and thank you so much for asking about
02:43youth's perspective towards the budget, right?
02:45I mean, the budget affects all of us,
02:48our rocket Malaysia,
02:48but it affects different segments of society differently.
02:52So thank you so much for giving a voice to youth.
02:54For me, I think that what's the top priority
02:57on the minds of youth really can be summarised
03:01into economic security.
03:04So I think as someone who is starting out in life,
03:08what you really want to be able to first do
03:10is to be financially independent.
03:12And that means to be able to provide for your own needs
03:16and then to also be able to provide for the needs of the people you love
03:19and perhaps also to be able to provide for your own community.
03:23But it all starts with being able to stand on your own two feet.
03:28And I think a budget that can help young people achieve that
03:30would be something that aligns with the priorities of youth.
03:34Let's bring this down to the everyday experience
03:37of trying to earn a living and build a life like you mentioned before.
03:41Amira, when young people say they cannot afford the life that they want,
03:45what do you think is behind that feeling?
03:48And also, how should that shape the government's priorities?
03:53I think when we look at,
03:55okay, what is it to actually live a decent life?
03:57I think DOSOM does give some form of indicator, right?
04:00It is looking at whether or not they can afford a decent housing,
04:05the cost of transportation, the cost of food.
04:07And looking at the estimates and what youth are actually making,
04:11there is a disconnect.
04:12So if we look at 15 to 19-year-olds,
04:15their median wage is about 1,780,
04:19slightly above the minimum wage.
04:22It gets better as they get older,
04:24but still we do see that gap.
04:26So I think on one hand,
04:28just genuinely based on DOSOM's estimates,
04:31where we feel like you need to live decently
04:34in wherever you are
04:35and what is actually the median wage,
04:37there's that gap.
04:38I think the second thing that comes in mind is,
04:40okay, what are realistic expectations?
04:43I know we have lifestyle changes.
04:45The way that a youth experience life
04:47is very different from someone who is a bit more older.
04:51And through it as well,
04:52the expenditure pattern.
04:54So I think we also see a rise in eating out
04:56and that has been increasing as well.
04:59And it's not so much that they're choosing to eat out,
05:01but rather for those that are juggling multiple jobs,
05:03that's probably the only realistic option for food.
05:06For those that are in small spaces,
05:09as a way to reduce accommodation cost,
05:12places of eating out becomes a social,
05:14sort of a form of socializing with others.
05:17And so there's the increasing cost as well.
05:20And expectations of what is a necessity.
05:23So, you know, maybe 20 years ago,
05:25the idea of internet and mobile devices,
05:27that is what you'd consider a luxury.
05:29But now it's becoming a very much necessity
05:31in both education and work.
05:33And so all of these costs adds up.
05:35And I think that's where we have that gap.
05:37So while people are working,
05:39there's a little bit of that gap
05:41between having that sense of financial security
05:44and what's really left over
05:46after they're tackling all their bills.
05:48And Hanson, what would it take for young Malaysians
05:50to feel that working hard will lead to a better life?
05:54Where can the budget help turn that effort
05:57into a greater financial security?
06:01I think for young Malaysians,
06:04it can be easy to feel
06:06that working harder,
06:08that's not necessarily mean living a better life.
06:11I think we see that, for example,
06:12in the rate of graduate underemployment, for example.
06:17We have youth who have worked hard,
06:19studied hard, achieved a diploma or a degree,
06:22but one third of them do not end up in occupations
06:26that commensurate to their level of qualification.
06:30And some might say that the solution
06:32is to just create more jobs,
06:34create more skilled jobs.
06:36for our graduates and for our young people.
06:38But I think that's half the solution.
06:41And another thing that's not often discussed
06:43is perhaps we need to be improving job quality
06:47in certain occupations
06:48that we might not consider skilled.
06:50So I was looking through the classification,
06:52what exactly is a skilled job?
06:53And I was surprised to find that actually jobs like
06:56an aircraft engine mechanic,
06:59a plumber,
07:01many different agricultural occupations
07:03are somehow not classified as skilled.
07:06But to me, actually,
07:08it requires a lot of skill,
07:10a lot of hard work for a young person
07:11to be in that kind of job as well.
07:13So perhaps another solution
07:15that we should start talking about more
07:17is how can we improve quality
07:18and frankly improve the pay
07:21and also societal status
07:23or how we perceive these occupations
07:26that we currently do not consider skilled.
07:29And I think the budget can do that
07:31in a number of ways.
07:33For example,
07:34increasing investment
07:35in certain enforcement agencies
07:37that enforce the minimum wage,
07:39that enforce the occupational safety
07:41and health standards.
07:42We have the progressive wage policy,
07:45which for its recipients
07:46means essentially a wage subsidy, right?
07:49So expanding that in the budget
07:50would be something that could help
07:52improve pay and job quality
07:54in these other occupations
07:56that you find themselves in.
07:58Right.
07:58And also, Amira,
07:59you mentioned about
08:00financial independence just now.
08:02How has the journey
08:03towards financial independence
08:05changed for young Malaysians?
08:07What support would help them
08:09take that next step
08:10and then whether that means
08:12moving out or supporting themselves
08:14or building savings?
08:16I think the road
08:17to financial independence
08:18have become longer,
08:20a lot more complicated.
08:21I think when we look back,
08:23it used to be a very linear
08:25or we had a very linear idea
08:27of financial independence
08:28and progression.
08:29It's go to university,
08:32get a job,
08:33move out,
08:34start a family.
08:35But now it looks
08:36a little bit more complicated.
08:37It could be,
08:38okay, you've moved out
08:39but now you're staying
08:40with your parents
08:41because rent is expensive
08:42or now you are stable
08:44in your career
08:45but because of some care needs
08:47or maybe additional support,
08:49you're still staying
08:50within the community
08:50so you're not really
08:51moving out yet.
08:53I think it could be earning
08:54but still not being able
08:56to save enough
08:57for that emergency.
08:58So there's all of these
08:59different transitions
09:00and with it,
09:02all its different friction points.
09:03So when we think about policy
09:05and how do we ensure,
09:06I think it's a multifaceted area
09:08for sure.
09:09I think we first need
09:11to look at income progression.
09:13We look at whether minimum wage
09:14is enough to meet
09:16estimate living standards.
09:18It is not.
09:18I think we have this idea
09:20of what a living wage is
09:21and where the minimum wage
09:22is not being able to cover.
09:24And even if you make minimum wage,
09:26what are the progression steps?
09:27How do you make sure
09:28that wage is not stagnating?
09:29We also need to look
09:31at affordable housing.
09:32Buying house is one thing
09:34but I think a lot of people
09:35are also looking at rental
09:37as a more long-term goal.
09:39So how do you make sure
09:40that rent remains affordable,
09:41it remains decent,
09:42that there are better protection?
09:44Social protection as well.
09:46As young people move
09:47towards gig work,
09:48how do we ensure that
09:49as they go into formal,
09:51exit formal,
09:53go in formal,
09:53start entrepreneurship,
09:54that there is coverage
09:56both for their security
09:57as well as their skill
09:59development as a whole.
10:00So I think this is where
10:01all the different elements
10:02of policy can help tackle
10:04all these different
10:04friction points that youth
10:06experience in their road
10:07to become financially independent.
10:09Now, wages also has been
10:11the topic of the discussion
10:12when it comes to every budget.
10:13Now, Hansen,
10:14let's talk about wages.
10:15What needs to happen
10:16for better pay
10:16to become a realistic prospect
10:18for more young workers?
10:19You mentioned progressive wage
10:21just now.
10:21And also,
10:22how much can the government
10:24influence through the budget
10:25this year?
10:26I think there are really
10:28two parts to this problem
10:30of increasing wages and pay,
10:34especially for young Malaysians.
10:37The first half of it
10:38is how can we create jobs
10:40that pay higher?
10:42And in this,
10:43I know that the government
10:43has already invested
10:45a lot of resources into this.
10:48Just recently,
10:49this year in March,
10:49we had the new incentive framework
10:52that seeks to attract investment
10:54and also ensure
10:55that the investment
10:56that is attracted
10:56to our country
10:57creates skilled employment
10:59for our people as well.
11:00So I've looked through
11:01some of the criteria
11:02on the kinds of incentives
11:03that the government gives.
11:04Those are conditional
11:05on these investments
11:08meeting criteria
11:09in terms of the number
11:10of jobs they create locally
11:11and stuff like that.
11:13The other part of it
11:14really is like what
11:16I said just now.
11:17How can we improve
11:19job quality
11:19across all occupations
11:21because you can create
11:23as many jobs as you want
11:24but it probably wouldn't be
11:25at a rate that it's enough
11:27to absorb the amount
11:29of young Malaysians
11:31who are entering
11:31the workforce
11:32every single year.
11:33So I think effort
11:34should also be balanced
11:35upon improving conditions
11:38across all occupations
11:40in our economy.
11:42I've mentioned
11:42the progressive wage policy.
11:43Currently,
11:44it's only targeted
11:46at MSMEs,
11:48the micro,
11:49small,
11:50medium enterprises.
11:52How can we incentivize
11:53and currently,
11:53it's also voluntary.
11:54That means you opt in,
11:55businesses opt into it.
11:56How can we incentivize
11:57more people
11:58to opt into this scheme
12:00for example?
12:01And another way
12:02that a budget
12:03could also help
12:04alleviate conditions
12:06across all occupations
12:07is maybe considering
12:08what kind of support
12:09can be given
12:10to businesses
12:11to improve
12:11working conditions
12:12for their workers.
12:13When we talk about plans,
12:15there's always short term
12:16and also long term.
12:17That also applies
12:18to budget.
12:19Now,
12:19hence,
12:19young people need
12:20help with today's expenses
12:22but also they want
12:23better prospects
12:25for them in the future.
12:26Now,
12:26how should the government
12:27balance between
12:28those two needs
12:30in the budget?
12:31I think the immediate need
12:35is to help people,
12:37help households,
12:39young people,
12:39young Malaysians,
12:40individuals
12:40who cannot yet afford
12:43a basic standard
12:45of living.
12:47I note that there are
12:48two ways
12:48that the government
12:49currently does this.
12:50One is through
12:51some blanket subsidies.
12:53So a lot of the prices
12:55of everyday goods
12:56are subsidized
12:57and one of the more salient ones
12:59is fuel,
13:00for example,
13:01that's helping to keep
13:02cost of living low.
13:04And aside from these subsidies,
13:05there are also
13:06targeted assistance
13:07with different
13:09eligibility criteria
13:10so that people
13:11who find themselves
13:12in a vulnerable position
13:14are able to access
13:15help from the government.
13:16So these are short term
13:18ways that we can help
13:19people who are
13:19in immediate need.
13:21I think over the longer term,
13:23we should be looking at
13:24how can we help
13:26households and individuals
13:27actually graduate
13:29from these kind of programs
13:30so that one day
13:31we don't need subsidies,
13:33we don't need
13:34targeted assistance.
13:35Nobody in this country
13:35needs those
13:36and everyone can stand
13:37on their own two feet
13:38so that more of our
13:39fiscal resources
13:40can then be directed
13:41towards what Amira said
13:43just now,
13:44public services, right?
13:45So that these resources
13:46can be invested
13:47in education,
13:48in healthcare,
13:49in care services,
13:50in public transport,
13:51for example.
13:53And Amira,
13:54when we discuss
13:55about cost of living,
13:57we tend to focus
13:58more on prices
13:59and salaries, right?
14:00What else about
14:01young people's
14:02financial pressures
14:03deserve more attention
14:04in this budget,
14:05do you think?
14:06I do agree.
14:07I think when we think
14:08about cost of living,
14:09there's a tendency
14:10to just look at
14:10the individual things.
14:12So you're talking about,
14:13oh, the cost of
14:14eating out increase,
14:15the cost of rice increase,
14:16the cost of electricity
14:17is increased.
14:18And those things matter.
14:19But how young people
14:21experience
14:22all these rising cost pressures
14:24is it's an accumulation
14:25of things, right?
14:26Like mortgage impacts
14:30your rent for,
14:32I mean,
14:33if you're renting,
14:33if the owner is experiencing
14:36a rise in their mortgage,
14:37they'll increase the rent
14:38and then you have to face
14:39increasing rent,
14:40increasing food.
14:41Then if you're opting
14:42to move out,
14:43then you have to think
14:43about what are
14:44the transportation costs.
14:45So all of this
14:46is happening
14:46as an accumulation.
14:48And so there's
14:49a lot of trade-offs.
14:50And what happens
14:51during this trade-off
14:51is if you want to maintain
14:53a certain level
14:54of lifestyle,
14:55then it's also very easy
14:56to get into
14:57all these short-term debts.
14:58So I think like
14:59Buy Now Pay Later,
15:00Shopee Pay Later,
15:01all of those short-term
15:03loans that comes
15:04and is very easily accessible,
15:06becomes very attractive
15:07because it offers
15:08some form of cushion.
15:09And I think the reason
15:10why those cushions
15:11are so appealing
15:11is that right now
15:13when you're always covering
15:14all these unexpected costs
15:16all the time,
15:17you don't have room
15:19to save for your future.
15:20And I think that sometimes
15:22what is missing
15:22with this cost of living
15:23where we focus so much
15:25on making sure
15:25that the wage
15:26would cover
15:26the current cost of now,
15:28but it doesn't take
15:29into account
15:30what it means
15:30on the use savings
15:33for tomorrow.
15:34So whatever their
15:36emergency savings
15:36that's using to cover today
15:38or what they could
15:39be spending on
15:40for their skills development,
15:41for furthering their studies,
15:43or to even just,
15:44you know,
15:44have their own tabong
15:46to start a family,
15:47all of those get implicated.
15:48And I think that sometimes
15:49what we're missing,
15:50we're just so focused
15:51on covering things right now,
15:53but we forget the cost
15:54for the youth's future.
15:56And Hanson,
15:57what makes financial assistance
15:59effective in helping young people
16:01becoming more secure?
16:03Where can my government
16:04fall short
16:05even if the intention is good?
16:09Perhaps I could expand on,
16:11you know,
16:12earlier I mentioned
16:12there are two ways
16:13that government assists.
16:15One on,
16:15you know,
16:15some blanket subsidies
16:16and targeted assistance.
16:18So when you have
16:19blanket subsidies,
16:21the risk is then
16:21certain people
16:22who might not
16:23actually need
16:25the price of certain goods
16:26to be subsidized
16:28enjoy the subsidies anyway.
16:29And this,
16:30we would term
16:30inclusion error.
16:32There's people who,
16:34so it essentially
16:35devotes resources away
16:37from resources
16:38that could have been used
16:39for, I guess,
16:40targeted assistance as well.
16:41But on the other hand,
16:43with more targeted forms
16:44of whether it's
16:45cash transfers
16:46or other forms
16:47of assistance,
16:49risk having exclusion errors.
16:52That means
16:52certain families,
16:53certain people
16:54who actually need
16:55assistance
16:56for one reason or another
16:57cannot access
16:59these kinds of services.
17:02So,
17:03there are risk
17:04and shortfalls
17:06in terms of both strategies
17:09that I think
17:11the government
17:11should be looking
17:12at patching.
17:14But to fall back
17:15on what I've said
17:16earlier about
17:17universal basic services,
17:19I think things
17:19that are more integrated,
17:22when we have
17:22a more integrated
17:24social protection system
17:26that actually protects
17:27people at various stages
17:28of their life cycle
17:29when they are vulnerable,
17:30that would minimize
17:31the inclusion
17:33and exclusion errors.
17:34And to illustrate
17:35my point,
17:35that is when you are a child,
17:37you don't have
17:37the capacity
17:38to earn income.
17:38So,
17:39what are the certain
17:40services that the government
17:41provides?
17:41For example,
17:42free education
17:42that you can enjoy
17:43when you are in periods
17:45that you are sick.
17:46Do you enjoy
17:49the income
17:51subsidized
17:51when you are
17:52out of work
17:53because of an injury
17:54or because of sickness?
17:55When you are
17:57retired at an old age
17:58where you don't have
17:58the capacity
17:59to work anymore,
18:00are there initiatives
18:01or are there
18:02sources of income
18:03that the government
18:03could subsidize you
18:04when you are sick,
18:05for example?
18:06These are the things
18:07that we should be looking into.
18:07And rightly so,
18:09Hansen mentioned
18:10that about education,
18:11Amira.
18:12Education is often seen
18:13as a path
18:14to a better life
18:15that we all agree on.
18:16Now,
18:17how well is that promise
18:18holding up
18:18for young Malaysians
18:19nowadays
18:20and what needs
18:21to change
18:22for that to deliver?
18:23I think the promise
18:25of education
18:26is still very relevant
18:27but the expectation
18:29of what it means
18:30in today's society
18:31has changed
18:32and I think
18:33a lot of youth
18:34and families
18:35are really asking
18:36a different kind
18:37of questions
18:37when it comes
18:38to education.
18:39It's,
18:39if I invest
18:40in this,
18:41if I invest
18:42in education,
18:43these years of my life,
18:44the money,
18:44what kind of opportunity
18:46will it create
18:47for me after?
18:47So the conversation
18:49surrounding education
18:50now is less
18:51more about access
18:52but rather
18:53on its relevance,
18:54in its transition
18:55rather than just,
18:56you know,
18:57making sure
18:57that you get
18:58this degree.
18:59It also means
19:00that for alternative
19:01pathways such as
19:02TVET
19:02and making it
19:04genuinely attractive,
19:06not just treating
19:07them as second tier
19:08options.
19:08So, I mean,
19:09we've looked at
19:09a lot of different
19:10work surrounding TVET
19:11and looking at it
19:13as a means
19:13to generate
19:15higher education
19:16and, you know,
19:17future industrial
19:18development as well
19:19for the country
19:20but the perceptions
19:21of these career
19:22and sort of
19:23the financial prospects
19:24of joining to TVET
19:25has seen
19:26been somewhat weaker
19:27and I think this is
19:28where the market
19:29also comes in.
19:30So it's important
19:31to look at education
19:32in terms of its
19:33availability,
19:34in terms of its quality
19:35but it's also
19:36very hard
19:36to do it in silo
19:38without looking at
19:39the question of
19:39industrial development
19:40as a whole
19:40and I think this is
19:41where a lot of
19:42the disconnect happens
19:43or the mismatch happens.
19:44So it has to be
19:45created together
19:46and I think,
19:47I mean,
19:47we talk about
19:48industry,
19:49academia,
19:51collaboration
19:51and looking at ways
19:52to making sure
19:53that it integrates.
19:54I think a lot
19:55of the challenges
19:56right now
19:56is we're producing
19:57graduates
19:57but not enough jobs
19:59or we're producing
20:00graduates
20:01but it's not relevant.
20:02So I think
20:02tackling those questions
20:04is where
20:04we can sort of target
20:06and really improve
20:07this idea of education
20:09and expectations
20:10of getting education
20:11is for the economy.
20:13I think the other thing
20:14is just looking
20:14at lifelong learning
20:15with the advance
20:17of technology
20:17I think it's not
20:19reasonable to expect
20:19what you're learning
20:20and developing
20:21at 22
20:22is still going to be
20:23relevant at 40
20:24so also making sure
20:25there's a lot
20:26of these opportunities
20:27for skill development
20:28going back into school
20:29making it easy
20:30for people to kind of
20:31come in and out
20:32of education
20:33as the experiences
20:34and expectations
20:35of the labour market change.
20:36So we've talked about
20:37how lifelong learning
20:38is important
20:39salaries as well
20:40cost of living
20:41should shape
20:43the budget this year
20:44but also I want to
20:45paint you a picture
20:45Hansen
20:46like for example
20:47someone maybe
20:48from Kelantan
20:48who came here
20:49young Malaysian
20:50who came here
20:51in KL
20:51and to find work
20:52it's not easy
20:53for him or her
20:54to find a house
20:55to start off
20:56a life here.
20:57Now
20:58we're talking about
20:59like homes
21:00for these kind of people
21:02whether they can
21:02afford it or not
21:03and a cheaper home
21:04may mean a longer
21:07and a more expensive
21:08journey to work.
21:10Now
21:10how should housing
21:13transport
21:13and also access
21:15to job
21:16fit together
21:18in the budget
21:19for these sort of people?
21:21I really like
21:22how you framed
21:22that question
21:23around housing
21:25transport
21:25and access to work
21:26and affordability
21:27because it really
21:27all just ties in
21:29together right
21:30and the way
21:31that we have
21:32built our city
21:33is in a way
21:35where
21:37the result
21:38is commuting times
21:39can take up
21:40a lot of time
21:41and also a lot of
21:42space
21:43in a young person's wallet.
21:45One of my colleagues
21:46at ISIS Malaysia
21:47Ahmad Farhan
21:48he just put out
21:48a research note
21:49which estimates
21:50that fuel
21:51accounts for more
21:52than half
21:52of a household's
21:53travel expenditure
21:54and a vehicle loan
21:56is also one of
21:57the major components
21:58of household debt.
22:01So how do we start
22:02addressing this
22:04both housing
22:05and transport?
22:05I think
22:06it is to
22:08change our mindset
22:09when we think
22:10about government
22:12spending
22:12in these areas.
22:13So I'll start
22:14with public transport.
22:16It's easy
22:17to think about
22:18public transport
22:18in terms of
22:19financial ROIs.
22:20We're going to
22:21build this new
22:21real network
22:22we're going to
22:23operate this bus
22:24service
22:24is it able
22:25to break even
22:26or not?
22:26That's a very
22:27financial way
22:28of looking at it
22:29but really
22:29it shouldn't be
22:30looked at
22:30in that way
22:31because spending
22:33in public transport
22:34can be seen
22:35as investment
22:36into young people
22:37can be seen
22:38as investment
22:38into the city
22:40where people
22:41don't have to
22:41spend so much
22:42of their income
22:43on actually
22:44getting around
22:44with better mobility
22:45people get better
22:47access
22:47easier access
22:49to work
22:50and economic
22:51activities
22:52and on the other
22:54side
22:55which is on
22:56housing for example
22:58I think the mindset
22:58shift that is needed
22:59is
23:01to not think about
23:02housing as
23:03a store of value
23:05to not think about
23:06it as
23:07an investment vehicle
23:09but really
23:09think about housing
23:11as a basic
23:12human right
23:13right
23:13like everyone
23:14who comes to this city
23:16they should have
23:16the right
23:17to a roof
23:19over their heads
23:20and when we start
23:21thinking in this way
23:22that's how we can
23:23coordinate investments
23:24into housing
23:25transport
23:27and really help
23:28make the city
23:29a better place
23:30for young Malaysians
23:31I think
23:31all right
23:32we have a few minutes
23:33left
23:33and Amira
23:34if you could shape
23:35this budget
23:36around one lasting
23:37change for young
23:37Malaysians
23:38what would it be
23:39and what difference
23:41would you want them
23:42to feel
23:42over the next few years
23:45I think if I had
23:46to boil
23:47everything down
23:48to one central idea
23:49I think I want
23:51to make
23:52upward mobility
23:53like a little bit
23:54more of a
23:55clear-cut
23:56progression pathway
23:57for many young Malaysians
23:58I think
23:59for many youth
24:00they might struggle
24:01with this idea
24:02of how do I move forward
24:03right
24:04if education
24:04is not the answer
24:05what would it be
24:06if it's
24:06if jobs
24:07not the answer
24:08what would it be
24:09so I think
24:09I mean
24:10and I don't mean it
24:11by guaranteeing everyone
24:12a certain income
24:13or a certain outcome
24:14because that's very unrealistic
24:16but at least
24:17having a pathway
24:18in which they can see
24:19that if they do
24:20certain steps
24:21that there is a way out
24:23and I think
24:24it's about rebuilding
24:25that trust in the system
24:26that I feel like
24:28for many
24:28it has lost
24:29I mean
24:30we used to
24:30strongly believe
24:31that a good education
24:32will lead to a good life
24:34that myth
24:35is slowly being
24:36taken apart
24:37so how do we
24:38create an alternative system
24:39that people can believe in
24:40so that they know
24:41at least for themselves
24:42the confidence
24:43the independence
24:43to take the steps
24:45that is needed
24:45for them to go out
24:47and I think we have
24:48to acknowledge
24:49that some of these pieces exist
24:50and acknowledge
24:52sort of all the parties
24:53and all the government
24:54all the effort
24:55that's been done
24:55to create all these
24:56separate pieces
24:57but they don't always
24:58connect smoothly
24:59so we have things
25:00like we have education
25:01but the job returns
25:02aren't there
25:02we have jobs
25:04but then the progression
25:04the wage progression
25:05is slow
25:06we have housing programs
25:07but then there's gaps
25:09in terms of affordability
25:10to own a home
25:11or decent rental housing
25:12we have financial education
25:14but financial security
25:15is weaker
25:16so I think trying
25:17to tie it all together
25:18and creating
25:18a cohesive ecosystem
25:20for the youth
25:22and making them
25:23like making them
25:24come out
25:25feeling like
25:25okay there is a way out
25:26having the confidence
25:28in themselves
25:28independence for them
25:29to kind of
25:30look beyond
25:31government assistance
25:32but rather appreciate
25:33the system
25:34that's being created
25:35and gaining their strength
25:37and compatibility
25:38coming out of it
25:39great
25:40Hansen
25:40a year after this budget
25:42what would convince you
25:43that if it made
25:44a real difference
25:45for young Malaysians
25:46what changes
25:47should they be able
25:48to see
25:48in their own lives
25:50before getting into that
25:51I think I would
25:52want to lay out
25:54what my priorities
25:54would be
25:55and then I'll tell you
25:55what I want to see
25:56that's being achieved
25:58I'm a little bit greedy
25:59so I want to marry
26:00the jobs agenda
26:01with public services
26:02so one thing
26:03that I would like to see
26:04is actually
26:05how can we improve
26:06pay progression
26:08and working conditions
26:10for our frontliners
26:12our public servants
26:14and what I mean
26:15people like
26:16school teachers
26:16doctors
26:17medical officers
26:19care providers
26:20these people
26:21who are in the front line
26:22it's who the Rakyat
26:23actually interacts with
26:25when we're accessing
26:26accessing government services
26:29and one year after this
26:30I want to see
26:31if waiting lines
26:33at hospitals
26:34has been reduced
26:35people who are actually
26:37working in a hospital
26:38are actually motivated
26:40and because
26:41their livelihoods
26:42are secure
26:44and I think
26:46it's very hard
26:47to see
26:48structural changes
26:49or structural outcomes
26:50in just a year
26:51but looking at these
26:54I guess
26:54more intangible
26:55aspects of how
26:56people actually
26:57interact with government
26:59services
26:59and government servants
27:00can be one way
27:02to indicate that
27:02we might be
27:03on the right track
27:04thank you so much
27:06Hansen and Amira
27:07for today's episode
27:08and for sharing
27:10your perspectives
27:10now
27:11the budget
27:12will set out
27:13how the government
27:14plans to spend
27:15and young Malaysians
27:16will judge it
27:17through their own eyes
27:18and through their own lives
27:20what they can afford
27:21and the opportunities
27:22they can take
27:23and the future
27:24they can plan for
27:25I guess that's all
27:26the time that we have
27:27for tonight's episode
27:27on It's About Youth
27:28I'm Amir Rahman
27:29thank you for watching
27:30goodnight
27:32goodnight
27:32goodnight
27:33goodnight
27:34goodnight
27:35goodnight