Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698752243654.pdf (Malaysia)
Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths in Promoting Sustainable Development Goals in Malaysian Parliamentary Constituencies Zoel Ng* and Philus Thomas** Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of goals that aim to create new partnerships that involve all sectors of society to create a community that leaves no one behind.

People often think of youth as drivers of innovation and social change, and they can play a key role in realising the SDGs at the local level.
This study used an action research methodology to examine the perspectives, experiences, and competence of Malaysian youths with regard to their contributions to promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.

Data was taken from the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative, which involved 67 participants in a quantitative survey and 24 in the second phase as SDG Agents.

The findings describe youths’ perspectives and experiences with three aspects of youth involvement in promoting SDG.
It is unequivocally affirmed from various perspectives that youth hold such a significant role as active agents contributing to the promotion of the SDGs, especially in raising awareness about the SDGs in the local community via organising SDG workshops and participating in different dialogues.

Youths also have a positive regard for their abilities and effectiveness, which is a good sign that their diverse experiences have helped build the country.
As a result, recommendations are made to bring to people’s attention ways for youths to be included in constituency-based sustainable development.

Keywords: SDG, Youth, Malaysia, Parliament Constituencies, Parliamentarians.

* Zoel Ng is Head of Capacity Building and Development at the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia for Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG).
** Philus George Thomas is Coordinator of the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative at the All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia for Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG).

Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 111 Introduction Youths in Malaysia are defined as those aged 15 to 30; they account for 30.5% of the total population.
Youths are often referred to as the “pillars of the future” and “energetic changemakers.” Such is the trust that is placed by multifaceted groups towards this special group of individuals, including the government and its initiatives, that are becoming relevant and directed towards the empowerment and development of youths in Malaysia.1 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present a unique chance to create new partnerships involving all societal sectors, from international associations and national politicians to civic groups and voluntary gatherings.
Youth could contribute to the success of the SDGs by coming together in alliances that share resources, knowledge, technology, and finances.

Multi-stakeholder collaborations are not separate organisations; instead, they are parts of many areas of development and environmental protection.

Furthermore, every parliament’s duty to promote their nation’s sustainability unavoidably concerns the implementation of the SDGs, regardless of how they are labelled.
Over a third of the SDGs mention young people directly or indirectly, focusing on their empowerment, participation, and/or well-being.

There are 20 youth-specific targets spread over six key SDGs: Goal 2 (hunger), Goal 4 (education), Goal 5 (gender equality), Goal 8 (decent work), Goal 10 (inequality), and Goal 13 (climate change).
If we involve young people in achieving Goals 16 (peaceful societies) and Goal 17 (partnerships for goals), there is a greater potential to realise active participation, inclusion, responsibility, and improved global relations.

Concepts of efficient nation-building have included high state capacity to deliver public goods and well-developed voluntary organisations to enhance nation-building.

Underlying these concepts are factors of multi- stakeholder partnership.
Young people are drivers of innovation and social change, and can play a key role in realising the SDGs at the local level.

Engaging with youth ensures that the goals are more than just global aspirations but that there is also tangible change on the ground.

This entails the aspect that youths remain the under represented group in matters of governance and decision-making.
Youths should have a sense 1 TheStar, ‘More Programmes to Train and Empower Youths as Future Leaders’ (The Star 14 September 2022) <https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/14/ more-programmes-to-train-and-empower-youths-as-future-leaders> accessed 14 December 2022.

112 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament of trust so that their unique and creative ideas can be used for growth and development.
Through this involvement, youth can learn how to take action against global challenges and understand the importance of collective efforts.

Additionally, working with local activists and parliamentarians, youths will learn valuable skills and competencies such as collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and organisational management that will benefit them both professionally and personally in the future.
Ultimately, offering meaningful opportunities for youth to collaborate with the SDGs helps to empower them to become agents of change in our world today.

With narratives of the role of youths in promoting SDGs, this study aims to collect the perspectives, experiences, and competence of youths with regard to their contributions to promoting SDGs.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of research that shows how young people’s approaches and experiences help put the SDGs into action in their local communities.
Therefore, this study also gives suggestions for how Malaysian parliamentarians can be involved in the lives of Malaysian youth so that they can be mobilised in their home districts to help promote the SDGs.

Significance of Study There is significance in understanding the dimensions of promoting the SDGs and the vitality of youth participation in them.
Therefore, it is hoped that with this study, various stakeholders, including the parliamentarians, may strengthen their efforts to utilise the grit, passion, and talent of youths in localising and implementing the SDGs.

The recommendations aim to effectively mechanise youth participation in promoting SDGs while also orienting existing and upcoming initiatives in the local community context to empower all Malaysian youths to participate in this global agenda actively.
Limitations and Implications of Study The study employs an action research methodology with youths as its target group; the limitations discovered are that because it is founded on the subjective experiences of youths in their involvement in parliamentary constituencies via the sustainable development goals, perspectives of youths outside of this means of work are limited.
The data also does not account for the perspectives and experiences of youths that are not involved in any kind of organisation or initiative that is directed towards promoting the SDGs.

The scope of this study is also limited by Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 113 the Malaysian Youth SDG Initiative’s call for specific action.
The study also shows that the government needs to take stock and reach out to young people from all walks of life to give them the tools and platform they need to take part in the development of the constituency.

In the same way, this study adds to the current and up-to-date research on how youth see and help promote the SDGs.

Methodology This study used the action research method.
The goal of action research is to solve problems in a way that is participatory, collaborative, and iterative so that action and knowledge can be gained.
In this study, two phases were specifically analysed in a timeline of the conduct of the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative: first, the collection of quantitative data via survey form was analysed from the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative, where 67 participants applied for the initiative, and second, the local and international involvement of the youth agents related to SDG promotional activities was analysed.
In Phase 2, 24 people were chosen as Youth SDG Agent Initiative representatives for their communities.

Their progress and achievements in promoting the SDGs in the local constituencies were recorded in the timeline from August to December 2022.

The subjects of the study were youths ages 18–30 randomly sampled by the dissemination of the survey form to gather youths across Malaysia to be active participants in the Youth SDG Agent.
The study maintained the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants involved in the research.

The action research study was not curated for the purpose of the research article but rather is descriptive in nature of the transpiring events of the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative.

Therein, this study also maintains beneficence, respect for persons, and integrity.
The study was conducted with a collaborative approach between the researchers, the participants, and the stakeholders who invested time and energy into the success of the initiative.

Literature Review Youth Development in Malaysia Youth was regarded as the government’s partner in implementing community-related projects relevant to sustainable development and protecting the environment.

Studies have mentioned the role of youth in supporting sustainable development (and SDG localisation).
114 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament Furthermore, youths have the ability to be the person in charge of bringing about sustainable changes.

Nevertheless, in terms of youth empowerment and recognition of the importance of youths in promoting the SDGs, each nation has its guidelines for catering to the development of the nation’s youths, as outlined in national youth policies.
Researchers have further defined youth policies as “a system of measures and legislation for the establishment and maintenance of a certain social status of the younger generation, and along with it, a certain quality of life and quality of the young people, which in the long term is the economically active population of the country.”2 The Malaysian Youth Policy (MYP) highlighted the priorities for the youths of Malaysia to be responsible citizens at various levels, including national and international levels.
The means for the development of the youths of Malaysia included categories of knowledge development, attitudinal development, entrepreneurial and vocational development, healthy lifestyles, facilities for social interaction, partnerships for development, and international relations and networking.

The overseers of the developments in matters of institutional and policy framework were placed under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Youth Consultative Council, and the Malaysian Youth Council.
Measures are being undertaken by various stakeholders, especially the government, in dealing with the concurrent holistic developments of youths in Malaysia; however, the question of how much further youths are reciprocating to these initiatives and the mechanisms by which they ought to function to produce an impact in developing the country remain unwritten.

There are currently registered at the Registrar of Youth (ROY) 9,433 active youth-led organisations.
This takes into account the fact that there is a growing interest among youths in contributing to national developments.

Parliamentarian Roles in Youth Development The advocacy for the involvement of youths in institutional and governance reform has been in prominent space, where in recent times, there is more involvement of youths in activism for national change, and parliamentarians could play an invaluable role in it.
The Youth 2 Indira Rystina and Zhaniya Kussainova, ‘Comparative Analysis of National Youth Policy in Different Countries’ (2014) 140 Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 654.

Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 115 Parliament programme, initiated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, is one mechanism linking youth with local development.
Moreover, this kind of platform will help equip young people with the skills and experience they need to lead, grow, and thrive in their communities.

The parliamentarians’ expertise and guidance will be invaluable for the development of the youth in the country, as these young people will gain important insights into the workings of the real development concerns where they live.
In a case study,3 youths were revealed to be disempowered when their efforts and potential contributions to economic, social, and political developments were underestimated and underutilised.

Furthermore, past studies have also shown the importance of youths’ collaboration with policymakers and adults for the purpose of engaging youths in civic matters.

Political figures and systems can empower youths through matters of conflict and conciliation,4 as seen from the issues that the SDGs address.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development records the need for parliamentarians to engage youth demographics in the areas of development, namely in the context of the case that shows rural and agricultural developments and resilience building.

Nonetheless, there is no negation of the importance of the role of parliamentarians in their necessity to empower youth in development and civic engagements.
Referring to UNDP’s Approach in Engaging Youths in Promoting SDG The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works to empower youth worldwide, nurturing their influence and capacity for sustainable development and peace.

The “Empowered Youth, Sustainable Future” 2014–2017 Strategy is the foundation for establishing partnerships with youth.

The mechanisms of empowerment include: 1.


Supporting young people by establishing formal spaces for their participation, giving them opportunities to participate in 3 Timothy Marango and others, ‘Youth Empowerment, a Requisite for Rural Development: Case of the Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe’ (2021) 17 Commonwealth Youth and Development.
4 Jane Lo, ‘Empowering Young People through Conflict and Conciliation: Attending to the Political and Agonism in Democratic Education’ [2017] Democracy education <https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Empowering-Young-People-through- Conflict-and-to-the-Lo/b2b8014270a3c11353afd6ea99478bccef94b735> accessed 28 December 2022.

116 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament decision-making processes, contribute data, and have an impact on development priorities and funding allocations.

2.
2.

Recognising barriers to accelerating goals and targets’ development and defining efficient interventions that support the achievement of results on a number of fronts, such as those supporting increased youth participation and civic engagement or those combating prejudice against young people.

3.

Delivering efficient, demand-driven, context-specific, and evidence-based policy advice and technical help using our global programming expertise and depth and breadth of knowledge.
The strategy also emphasises monitoring and accountability, research, and advocacy.

The Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative includes a process similar to this where the SDG Agents are to provide a video recording about local issues and a proposed solution to tackle them; they are also required to identify resources and support needed to conduct a pilot test of the solutions.

Mentoring sessions happen once a month and also upon request.
This process helps the youth take ownership of the local issues and position themselves as changemakers.
The Case for Engagement- Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Following the 2021 Malaysian Youth SDG Summit that gained approval and attention from stakeholders, the initiative for youths to be equipped with the necessary skills to become change agents through the agenda of the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent was brought to attention and will be implemented in 2022 as a term-based project for capacity-building among youths for policy advocacy, raising local awareness about SDGs, understanding local challenges, identifying local partners, and proposing micro solution projects that can contribute to sustainable development.
The Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative, initiated by the youth development arm of the secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG), aims at mobilising and engaging youths from the ages of 18 to 30 to promote the SDGs in the parliamentary constituencies of Malaysia.
The 2022 Youth SDG agents were launched on June 11, supported by 10 youth-oriented organisations, namely: Majlis Belia Malaysia (MBM), Junior Chamber International Malaysia (JCIM), Alumni Parlimen Belia, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), International Youth Center (IYC), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Malaysian Youth Diplomacy (MyDiplomacy), Selangor Youth Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 117 Community (SAY), Higher Education Malaysia Association (HEYA), and Malaysian Indian Youth Council (MIYC).
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed among the 10 strategic partners with the secretariat of the APPGM-SDG and was witnessed by the 2022 UN Resident Coordinator, the 2022 Minister of Youth and Sports, and the 2022 head of the APPGM-SDG secretariat on June 11, 2022.

Since then, the Youth SDG Agent has taken flight for its first term on 22/23.

Youth SDG Agents are those that represent their respective constituencies, which align with the 30 constituencies that are covered by the APPGM-SDG in 2020-2022.
With the support of the strategic partners in their respective roles, the youths are given this platform to grow and be involved in SDG localisations and better understand their constituencies through the lens of SDGs.
Perceived Skills and Attitude and a Relational View of the SDG World Understanding one’s abilities, knowledge, and values within the context of a community is an essential skill in achieving sustainable development; this requires an inner journey where a leader learns through a reflective process.

This reflective practice will enable feedback loops and opportunities for growth.

Youth must be collaborative, inclusive, rooted in ethics, and willing to learn.
Furthermore, a competent change maker should be competent in managing resources, have the foresight to set long-term goals without sacrificing principles or values, inspire stakeholders to participate in governance processes, embrace the transformation, be cognizant of economic efficiency and environmental responsibility progressions, and coordinate implementation plans across government departments.
To reach these Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there must also be strong leadership and meaningful engagement from multiple stakeholders.

Finally, a strong understanding of self, skill, and valuable experience is necessary to ensure that the youths have the competency to promote Sustainable Development Goals at national and international levels.
Result The findings present the perceived skills possessed by youths in promoting the SDGs and contributing to nation-building, their experiences in nation- building through the means of the SDGs promotion, and the engagement of youth SDG agents in youth development and promoting the SDGs.

118 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament Finding 1: Perceived Skills and Attitude Possessed by Youths The findings from the data collection indicated the skills that youths perceived themselves to possess.
The classification of the skills that youths perceive themselves to have was thematically analysed and identified as being technical, communication, leadership, and green skills.

An excerpt from the data on the skills that youth perceive themselves to have is provided below.

P1: I have green fingers.

I naturally learn how to grow plants and vegetables.

I also cook on my own.

I write and compose music for fun.

Professional side, I do advocacy in civil law.

P2: My strongest attribute is my dedications.


I take on every challenge head-on and do what I need to accomplish my goals.

I also have a bit of designing skills and very good at public speaking.

P3: Equipped with basic coding, analytical skills, marketing skills.

I will always learn about marketing and coding during my free time to ensure that I am well-prepared for the digitalized world.
P4: I possessed high diplomatic skills and I love handling matters related to Public Relations…I have not many problems when it comes to handling conflicts and I can solve them with a smile.

I love working under pressure because that’s where I see myself very productive and efficient.

Being a STEM graduate, I am very passionate about technology, and I love coding.

This may add up into my special skills too.


Furthermore, I am involved with many organisations throughout my university days and in that manner, I can say that I am a good team player and also a great listener.

So my peers usually looks up to me whenever they have problems and they don’t have the difficulty in opening them up to me.

Last but not least, I am blessed with analytical skills because I love playing around with facts and numbers!
Finding 2: Youth Experiences in Programmes Related to SDGs The findings indicated an active involvement of youths in nation-building, addressing societal gaps and creating solutions through the SDGs.

The modality of conduct included the participation of volunteerism and other start-ups by various stakeholders.

The excerpts below show the experiences of youths in their involvement in promoting the SDGs that contributed to nation-building at micro-levels.
Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 119 P1: I volunteered in YOSH Programme – Kotak Rezeki Ummat.

We went to the villages … and distributed the boxes filled with groceries.

Apart from that, upholding SDG 11, I joined Stargazing Programme … where they organized a talk … They talked about Solid Waste and How we can help create a sustainable world.

P2: During COVID-19 Pandemic, number of families families that been affected due to Movement Control Order was severe.
I … founded an initiative … where every month the families that been affected especially those from B40’s received a food basket with all the basic necessities and it doesn’t stop there.

Even though the MCO order has been lifted, we works with local leaders to raise fund to continue this act of kindness.
P3: I have been working with the forest-dependent community & the youth for five years, educating them on their environmental rights, strengthen the environmental democracy literacy amongst them and empowering them to be knowledgeable, proactive, progressive & able to mobilise their own action to achieve environmental protection & justice.
Under the Small Grant Programme (SGP) funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), my team & I conducted several empowerment programs targeted the forest-dependent communities such as the Orang Asli & coastal fisherman as well as the youth … I also work on the environmental issues & campaign advocacies with the cross-sectional stakeholders.
I have been involved in the consultations between the government agencies, state government as well as the federal governments on the revision of some development policies, laws & regulations.

P4: I started a campaign alongside like minded individuals … which focuses on raising the awareness and importance of the circular economy.
Findings 3: Engagement of Youth SDG Agents in Youth Development and Promoting the SDGs Findings from the initiation of the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent Initiative discovered the potential of the platform to mobilise and develop Malaysian youths in promoting the SDGs.

Excerpts show the experiences of the selected youth SDG agents in nation-building through the promotion of the SDGs.
120 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament Table 1: Youth SDG Agent representation in local, national and global SDGs promotions Youth Representatives from Parliament Constituencies Type of Involvement in Promoting SDGs All 24 youth SDG Agents from a different location Identify 1 pressing local issue and propose for solution Youth SDG Agents from Indera Makhota, Pahang Met with their parliament YB to understand the local SDG efforts, and they were given a task to interview the community Youth SDG Agents from Batu Kawan, Penang Participated in the SDG localisation workshop Youth SDG Agents from Bentong, Pahang and Ipoh Barat, Perak Youth SDG Agent from Petaling Jaya, Selangor Participated in the Imagine Peace Camp (IPC) in South Korea, various topics of discussion were moderated, including the topic of peace (SDG 16) Began internship at the secretariat of APPGM-SDG and participated in the meeting with the Ministry of Education on exploring the Sustainable Development Goals awareness and implementation through education Youth SDG Agents from Ipoh Barat, Perak; Batu Kawan, Penang; Kumbang Pasu, Kedah; and Indera Mahkota, Pahang.
Represented Malaysia to join the UN Youth formation consultation on establishing a UN office for youths via online Youth SDG Agent from Petaling Jaya, Selangor Youth SDG Agents from Cheras and Indera Mahkota, Pahang Assisted in organising the Malaysia SDG mid-term review conference on SDG developments Organised SDG capacity-building workshops addressing awareness of the SDGs in Cheras, Indera Mahkota and Kuantan Discussion The findings describe youths’ perspectives and experiences with three aspects of youth involvement in promoting SDGs: a) how youths’ skills Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 121 and attitudes are perceived to be, b) how youths have been involved in SDG-related programme, and c) how youth SDG agents are working to promote the SDGs.
The findings, as per the data collection, are driven by the involvement of youths in the meta-perspectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.

It is unequivocally affirmed from the lens of various perspectives that youth hold such a significant role as active agents contributing to the promotion of the SDGs, especially in raising awareness about the SDGs in the local community via organising SDG workshops.
Nonetheless, another factor that appears to be motivating youths to get involved in promoting SDGs is the hope for the future that they hold.

This has a significant effect on how and where the group will work on the national agenda.
In line with the role of parliamentarians and government agencies, youths hope to raise awareness of the needs of the nation and be given opportunities to get involved in systems to make changes that matter, network and build meaningful connections with different parts of society, serve the community, and learn from and empower their peers to make changes for sustainable development.
Intergenerational and multi-stakeholder partnerships are sure ways of proceeding forward to improve and engage the involvement of youths in building the nation through the promotion of the SDGs.

With regard to this, it is pivotal that youths are further educated on the dynamics of the SDGs, why they are important, and how they impact lives.
Along with this is the idea that youth, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, should be encouraged and empowered by their sociological settings to impact and make changes in their respective communities and societies, creating micro and macro impacts based on their respective capacities.
Lastly, as we’ve seen with the lowering of the voting age in Malaysia and other steps the government has taken to make the democratic system as open as possible, youths should be encouraged to build their country without political bias.

This is emphasised because political bias influences people’s behaviours and shapes their perceptions of verifiable reality.

Members of parliament and other stakeholder groups play an important role in directing youths’ motivations towards the implementation of the SDGs.
The relationship between self-worth and self-efficacy leads to contributions to nation-building, and studies show that people who volunteer and do acts of service have a good sense of self-worth and 122 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament self-efficacy.5 Nonetheless, in relation to the current study, it is seen from the findings that youths had a positive self-worth with regard to their roles in promoting SDGs and a positive regard for their capabilities and efficacy, which positively shows their respective contributions to nation-building through their experiences.
Similar to the relevance in the Malaysian context of the implementation of the SDGs through the passionate involvement and experience of youths, comparatively, the following table indicates the excerpts from the best practises of other countries that utilised the grit of youths in the promotion and implementation of the SDGs.
The information was obtained from the Voluntary National Review (VNR) submitted and presented by respective countries to the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF):6 Table 1: Example of Youth Involvement in the SDG Implementation (As Reported in the Countries VNR) Country Denmark New Zealand Youth Involvement in the SDG Implementation/ SDG Localisation Process ● Youth contributed to the SDG VNR ● Youth was considered as Partners in SDG ● Danish Youth Associations assisted the government in campaigning for the SDG at numerous educational system ● Danish Youth Organisations engaged with the SDG at global and national platforms ● Youth at universities were engaged at the National SDG Summits with other SDG Stakeholders Papua New Guinea ● Commitments to engage the youth in SDG were affected by COVID-19 Country Youth Involvement in the SDG Implementation/ SDG Localisation Process 5 Kevin M Brown, Russell Hoye and Matthew Nicholson, ‘Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, and Social Connectedness as Mediators of the Relationship between Volunteering and Well-Being’ (2012) 38 Journal of Social Service Research 468.
6 Zoel Ng, Philus Thomas and Mohd Idham Yusof, ‘A Mid-Term Review of Malaysia Civil Society Organization in Engaging Youths in SDG Implementation’, Malaysia SDG Conference 2022 (2022).
Volume 3 – 2023 Country Indonesia Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 123 Youth Involvement in the SDG Implementation/ SDG Localisation Process ● Youth organisations supported the SDG localisation process through voluntary programmes and dissemination of SDG awareness ● Youth organisations were included in the VNR preparation Germany ● Youth was selected as delegates at HLPF Japan ● Youth were among the parties that engaged in VNR preparation Sweden ● Swedish Youth council were consulted in preparing the VNR ● Youth representative was sent as a delegate for HLPF Czech Republic ● Youth points of view were illustrated in each SDG progression Recommendations are drawn to bring to people’s attention ways to include youths in constituency-based sustainable development consistent with the youth development policy.
Recommendations One suggested way to get more young people involved in parliamentary constituency development is to give them more chances to watch and take part in the process.

This could mean giving students training and resources that help them learn through experiences like issue mapping, connecting to local champions, conducting microprojects, job shadowing, trips to the parliament, and internships.
By getting young people involved in these activities, they can learn more about what their representatives do and why it is important for them to see local development through the lens of sustainable development.

In addition to creating opportunities for youth engagement, parliamentarians can use technology to encourage youth involvement.
For example, the parliament can develop online campaigns that allow young people to talk about local sustainable issues and suggest solutions openly and respectfully via social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

This method not only gets young people interested, but it also gives a 124 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament voice to people who might not be heard through more traditional ways of communicating.
Finally, parliamentarians should consider institutionalising and grooming youth SDG agents in their constituency and offering incentives such as tuition vouchers and recognition for those who make significant positive impacts on the local development of the constituencies.
Reflection Without a doubt, youths are the future of the nation; therein, all layers of society, both nationally and internationally, acknowledge the need for youths to be involved in nation-building and their importance in providing futuristic and creative ideas to develop and create change that is meant for positive developments where necessary.

Key to this is issue mapping and partnerships from the various agencies that drive national developments.
Therefore, it is hoped that there will be consensus taken into account by various stakeholders, especially parliamentarians, to equip and include youths in nation-building through platforms such as the Malaysian Youth SDG Agent.

A whole-of-society approach must be considered in promoting the SDGs and youth engagement in them.

Parliamentarians should stand in solidarity for the empowerment and mobilisation of youths because youths have the grit, passion, and power to make a difference.
This study hopes that members of the parliament will be aware of and take into account the youth’s perspectives and experiences in national and global developments.
Bibliography Ahmad Z and Mohd Zain Z, ‘Political Involvement among Youth in Malaysia: Lessons Learnt’ (2021) 2 International Journal of Media and Communication Research 11 All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia-SDG, ‘APPGM-SDG’ (appgm- sdg.com (2022) <https://appgm-sdg.com/> accessed 29 December 2022 Arop LO and others, ‘Nation Building and Security Enhancement: The View of Contemporary Counsellor’ (2022) 7 Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 213 Bellorini A and others, ‘Engaging Parliaments on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs: Representation, Accountability and Implementation a Handbook for Civil Society 2 ENGAGING PARLIAMENTS on the 2030 Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 125 AGENDA’ (2018) <https://www.sdg16hub.org/system/files/2019-09/ Together-2030_Parliamentary-handbook_November2018.pdf> accessed 28 December 2022 Bernama, ‘SDG Summit 2022 Platform for Exposing Youth to Sustainable Development’ (BERNAMA6 November 2022) <https://www.bernama.
com/en/news.php?id=2090013> accessed 29 December 2022 Brown KM, Hoye R and Nicholson M, ‘Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, and Social Connectedness as Mediators of the Relationship between Volunteering and Well-Being’ (2012) 38 Journal of Social Service Research 468 Dahalan D and others, ‘Malaysia Youth Council (MBM) and Its Relevance to Youth Development’ (2012) 9 American Journal of Applied Sciences 974 <https://thescipub.com/pdf/ajassp.2012.974.978.pdf> Devi ABR, ‘THE ROLE of EDUCATION in NATION BUILDING: A REVIEW in RESPECT to NIGERIA and INDIA’ [2016] Global Journal of Engineering,Science & Social Science Studies <https:// www.semanticscholar.org/paper/THE-ROLE-OF-EDUCATION-IN- NATION-BUILDING%3A-A-REVIEW-Devi/547ea95ceb6c43032de0d 3fc3b980a519eded438> accessed 19 December 2022 Elder A, ‘Library Guides: Research Methodologies Guide: Action Research’ (instr.iastate.libguides.com2022) <https://instr.iastate.
libguides.com/researchmethods/actionresearch#:~:text=%22Resear ch%20strategies%20that%20tackle%20real> accessed 27 December 2022 Idike A and Eme OI, ‘Role of the Youths in Nation Building’ (2015) 9 Journal of Policy and Development Studies 50 International Institute for Sustainable Development, ‘Generation 2030: The Essence of Leadership for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD’ (SDG KNOWLEDGE HUBFebruary 2018) <https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/generation-2030/the-essence- of-leadership-for-achieving-the-sustainable-development-goals/> accessed 29 December 2022 ——, ‘Parliamentarians Action #4 |Engaging Young Women and Men in Rural and Agriculture Development and Resilience Building 126 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament in the Face of COVID-19 and Beyond’ (International Institute for Sustainable Development2020) <https://www.iisd.org/events/action- parlementaire-4> accessed 28 December 2022 Islamic Development Bank, ‘Country Youth Profile -MALAYSIA Country Youth Prof Ile MALAYSIA’ (2019) <https://www.isdb.org/sites/default/ files/media/documents/2020-09/Malaysia%20Youth.pdf> accessed 22 December 2022 Ismail MM and others, ‘Nation-Building among Youths in Malaysia: The Civic Education Approach’ (2019) 4 Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS) 390 Kingdom E and Maekae J, ‘The Role of Education in National Development: Nigerian Experience’ [2013] European Scientific Journal, ESJ <https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/THE-ROLE- OF-EDUCATION-IN-NATIONAL-DEVELOPMENT%3A-Kingdom- Maekae/614cdc24eba80e6a6e0ca6bc9ed554b4d48eeb78> accessed 19 December 2022 Krauss SE and others, ‘Malaysian Youth Associations as Places for Empowerment and Engagement’ (2020) 112 Children and Youth Services Review 104939 Lee L, Lam J and Lok J, ‘Malaysian Youths and Their Nation-Building Initiatives’ (The Star2014) <https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/ people/2014/09/16/youth-of-the-nation/> accessed 20 December 2022 Lo J, ‘Empowering Young People through Conflict and Conciliation: Attending to the Political and
 Agonism in Democratic Education’ [2017] Democracy education <https://www.semanticscholar.org/ paper/Empowering-Young-People-through-Conflict-and-to-the-Lo/ b2b8014270a3c11353afd6ea99478bccef94b735> accessed 28 December 2022 Madeira JP, ‘Cape Verde: Dimensions in Nation-Building’ [2016] Humania del Sur 11, 20: 93-105 <https://www.academia.edu/27253777/Cape_ Verde_Dimensions_in_Nation_Building> accessed 19 December 2022 Marango T and others, ‘Youth Empowerment, a Requisite for Rural Development: Case of the Chimanimani District of Zimbabwe’ (2021) 17 Commonwealth Youth and Development Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 127 Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, ‘Study on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Human Rights of Young People – Human Rights Council Resolution 48/12’ (2022) <https://www.ohchr.org/ sites/default/files/2022-06/submission-a-hrc-51-19-covid-youth-state- Malaysia.docx> accessed 13 December 2022 Mohammad N, ‘Fostering Sense of Patriotism, Devotion and Unity in Malaysian Youth’ (BERNAMA14 August 2020) <https://www.bernama.
com/en/thoughts/news.php?id=1870210> accessed 20 December 2022 Muff K, Kapalka A and Dyllick T, ‘The Gap Frame - Translating the SDGs into Relevant National Grand Challenges for Strategic Business Opportunities’ (2017) 15 The International Journal of Management Education 363 New Straits Times, ‘Govt Drafting Youth Empowerment Plan to Strengthen Their Role’ (News Straits TimesApril 2022) <https://www.
nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/04/789182/govt-drafting-youth- empowerment-plan-strengthen-their-role> accessed 14 December 2022 Ng Z, Thomas P and Yusof MI, ‘A Mid-Term Review of Malaysia Civil Society Organization in Engaging Youths in SDG Implementation’, Malaysia SDG Conference 2022 (2022) Olusadum N, ‘The Inevitability of Civil Society in Nation-Building: A Case Study of Nigeria’ (IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) 2017) <https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/340788570_The_inevitability_of_civil_society_in_nation- building_A_case_study_of_Nigeria> accessed 19 December 2022 Orsini A, ‘Youth Goals?
Youth Agency and the Sustainable Development Goals’ (2022) 4 Youth and Globalization 108 Parliament of Malaysia, ‘APPGM’ (www.parlimen.gov.my2020) <https:// www.parlimen.gov.my/kumpulan-rentas-parti-parlimen-malaysia- krppm.html?uweb=dr&lang=en> accessed 16 December 2022 Pazzanese C, ‘Study Finds Political Bias Skews Perceptions of Verifiable Fact’ (Harvard Gazette3 June 2020) <https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/ story/2020/06/study-finds-political-bias-skews-perceptions-of- verifiable-fact/> accessed 21 December 2022 128 Journal of the Malaysian Parliament Petković J and others, ‘Youth and Forecasting of Sustainable Development Pillars: An Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Approach’ (2019) 14 PLOS ONE Registrar of Youth, Malaysia, ‘Registration Statistic’ (Kbs.gov.my2021) <https://roy.kbs.gov.my/en/> accessed 13 November 2022 Rystina I and Kussainova Z, ‘Comparative Analysis of National Youth Policy in Different Countries’ (2014) 140 Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 654 Selvadurai S and others, ‘Debating Education for Nation Building in Malaysia: National School Persistence or Vernacular School Resistance?’ (2015) <https://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/17742/1/ Debating%20education%20for%20nation%20building%20in%20 Malaysia%20(abstract).pdf> accessed 19 December 2022 Shephard M and Patrikios S, ‘Making Democracy Work by Early Formal Engagement?
A Comparative Exploration of Youth Parliaments in the EU’ (2012) 66 Parliamentary Affairs 752 Sultana S, ‘An Analytical Study on the Contribution of Education in Nation Building’ (2014) 4 International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences <https://www.semanticscholar.org/ paper/An-analytical-study-on-the-contribution-of-in-Sultana/728ba ad54326980844393f49a01a022b9a853e29> accessed 16 December 2022 TheStar, ‘More Programmes to Train and Empower Youths as Future Leaders’ (The Star14 September 2022) <https://www.thestar.com.my/ news/nation/2022/09/14/more-programmes-to-train-and-empower- youths-as-future-leaders> accessed 14 December 2022 United Nations, ‘Definition of Youth’ (2013) <https://www.un.org/esa/ socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/youth-definition.pdf> United Nations Development Programme, ‘Fast Facts: Youth as Partners for the Implementation of the SDGs | United Nations Development Programme’ (UNDP2017) <https://www.google.com/ url?q=https://www.undp.org/publications/fast-facts-youth-partners- implementation-sdgs&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1672248227007840&u sg=AOvVaw33XDYqdTz6VIZTek6EkSPK> accessed 28 December 2022 Volume 3 – 2023 Perspectives, Experiences, and Involvement of Youths 129 ——, ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (Sustainable Development Goals2022) <https://www.undp.org/sustainable-development-goals> accessed 27 December 2022 Van Gyampo RE, ‘Youth in Parliament and Youth Representation in Ghana’ (2013) 50 Journal of Asian and African Studies 69 Wimmer A, ‘Nation Building.
A Long-Term Perspective and Global Analysis’ (2014) 31 European Sociological Review 30 Yahya WK, ‘Engaging Youth Participation in Making Sustainability Work’ [2019] Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 <https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007% 2F978-3-319-69627-0_130-1> accessed 29 May 2020 Youniss J and others, ‘Youth Civic Engagement in the Twenty-First Century’ (2002) 12 Journal of Research on Adolescence 121