Why My Visit to Parliament Left Me Feeling Unsettled
Disclaimer : The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not affiliated with TLMUN Herald. The experience told here is entirely from…
Disclaimer : The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not affiliated with TLMUN Herald. The experience told here is entirely from the writer’s perspective and is meant to be perceived in a neutral tone.
17th November 2021 was a day I highly anticipated and was quite excited for: the day I would take my first steps in Malaysia’s Parliament building. I’m not someone who aggressively participates in activism or politics, rather, I’m just an everyday girl who keeps up with the ongoing events of her beloved country as well as its government and hopes to see it change for the better in the future. Therefore, you must be wondering:
How did you get there?
I neither expected it nor really felt like it was real until I was already standing in the building. There’s an organisation known as Undi 18, one you have probably heard about if you keep up with our articles. I’m a state representative in their policy making-based program known as Dewan Muda. One day, an email came along out of the blue offering a trip to Parliament in honour of the commencement of World Children’s Day 2021. Thus, I signed up and became a youth representative of UNICEF for the event. Before I knew it, I was in a place I never thought I’d be in and talking to people I’d never thought I’d ever even see up close.
Expectation, Anticipation and Hope
Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, anticipate or hope. Let’s be real here, I wasn’t even sure of what to wear. My family is not particularly political, well, not open about it at least, and I neither have any connections or relation to anyone in politics. Everything in that world was utterly and completely new to me. Sure, I frequent the news and know a good amount of what’s going on, but that is all just from the outside looking in. I was about to enter the lion’s den and in this situation, the lion was about to devour me and I was standing still, stunned and unable to move.
Alright, I’m being a teensy bit dramatic but nevertheless, I was nervous. What would I even say to those people? Which of the many ongoing issues should I bring up? The prime minister would be there, countless ministers I don’t know the name of would be there, and the stars like YB Syed Saddiq and Dr Wan Azizah would be there. Who would I encounter? And what would I say? Questions, questions, questions. That’s all I had before I went and all I expected from myself when I was actually there.
I hoped for a variety of things, briefly. Mainly hopes about how this experience I was about to have could turn into something more, like how meaningful change would occur that day. Who was I kidding? Plenty of people younger and older than me have visited Parliament and came out with only the faint memory of having some fun with their friends and a moment of feeling starstruck. For a moment, I was oh so hopeful that that wouldn’t be me.
We were briefed on what would transpire that day and what to expect when we got there. Whether I anticipated a lot or a little after that, I’m still not sure, seeing as I was listening to both my Chemistry lecturer talk about organic chemistry and the briefing at the same time but boy, was there a lot more to what would happen that day when it was translated into reality.
The Reality of the Lion’s Den
That’s me in the red kebaya!
Let’s start small, who was I there with? It’s safe to say that the fellow youth who were there blew me away and out of the water. It was truly a great experience meeting people who have put in so much effort to initiate change and have so much passion for it. Ain Husniza, the girl who stood up for all the girls in the country and continues to fight to #Make SchoolASaferPlace. Qyira Yusri, who is never afraid to voice out for the people and a known face of Undi18. Those are just two examples, for if I elaborated on every single person in and behind the picture above this article would never end. They are incredible and I’m grateful that I got to meet and connect with them until now.
Alright, time for the part you’ve most likely been waiting for: the politicians. First, let’s talk about the ones who weren’t there. Of course, names will not be explicitly stated but here’s a hint: For the commencement of World Children’s Day 2021, some of the most obviously correlated ministers were not present. Multiple speeches were given by different people about youth leading the future and how our voices matter, all that good stuff, but it was so disheartening to see that the ministers who were responsible in this department were absent at the event. The leaders responsible for constantly reviewing present issues and figuring out solutions for the betterment of the youth were not there to share their promises, or what would have been even better, their well evaluated plans for the future to empower the youth of Malaysia.
Speaking of promises, many were made that day, courtesy of our prime minister. Many convincing and boldly positive statements were put out. The government wants what is best for the youth, they want our input in leading the future and they will do everything in their power to make sure we are taken care of and to promote collaboration amongst groups of all ages. Maybe at one point I believed him, or convinced myself to. Then, I spoke to him. In a joking tone, to our group of bright-eyed youths with clear interest in politics, he said “Don’t go into politics.” When we mentioned the programme we were a part of, Dewan Muda, he then said “Muda? Syed Saddiq?” Perhaps I imagined it, but I could’ve sworn there was a hint of nervousness, maybe even fear in his tone. We corrected him and laughed it off but a thought kept nagging me, because as the saying goes, every joke has a hint of truth to it. The truth in what he said, even if it was in the teensiest amount, left me stunned and standing in front of the hungry lion again.
We’ve covered one of the most memorable parts of my time there. Well, in reality, that conversation lasted about 10 minutes tops. What else was I up to over there? The longest hours, and what required the most energy, were the ceremony rehearsals. When the actual ceremony began, after a 2 hour delay because of the parliamentary sitting, to sum it all up, I passed some pins around, went on stage to hold a potted plant, smiled and ate lunch. At times it felt like I was embodying a prop but during lunch I did meet some extraordinary women of the opposition government who made me feel otherwise. They talked about some pressing issues and asked for our opinions, they listened and gave their input. It was a conversation like any other, one I could have with my friends, and it was delightful.
What it Means to be “Unsettled” : My Final Thoughts
I don’t have much to say about the interview I did with one of the ministers in the morning, or the free Eternals Lego set I got, or the Tiktoks I made with Ain, so here’s the conclusion to my day in Parliament :
It was memorable, it was fun and it was tiring. I hope everything promised that day is fulfilled and I anticipate future change, but I keep thinking.
In the midst of everything happening on 17th November, people were angry. As I listened to all sorts of important people say no child will go hungry, I scrolled my Twitter feed reading about the cancelled free school breakfast programme. In the present day, as Malaysians come together to help each other in the aftermath of the recent floods, I scroll again and see the result of delayed government response to disaster, and I think.
The lion’s den seemed so scary to me a month earlier, and now I realise it shouldn’t be. Malaysia needs more than promises, we need plans set and plans in motion and we need change. This is not to say I support or am against our government and it is not me trying to influence your opinion either, I’m just a girl who went to Parliament for a day and left with a head overloaded with thoughts I wanted to share. To end on a high note, if you ever have a chance to go to Parliament, take it!
Written by: Miza Alisya. Edited by: Siow Chien Wen.