I refer to the youth rally on May 15 where our prime minister was awarded the title ' Father of Youth Development '.

I am a 19-year-old Malaysian college student, quite actively involved in a local NGO and other social activist spheres. I am especially interested in women's and youth rights. My experiences thus far have made it very clear to me that our Malaysian youth are a marginalised and politically disempowered lot.

In a country as young as Malaysia, where some 47 percent of our citizens are aged 20 and below, it seems quite ridiculous that we have such an archaic legal voting age (21 years, whereas 18 is the norm in most parts of the world) and social structures that are so inherently ageist.

Young Malaysians are constantly reminded to 'listen to their elders' and 'be obedient'. We should be 'seen and not heard'. In fact these days, we should not even be seen in many places. If young people are seen in shopping complexes, we are labelled 'useless bums'.

If seen in video arcades, roller-blading/skateboarding parks and the like, we are 'misfits'. If seen in public spaces holding placards etc., we are deemed 'rebels' and accused of 'disturbing the peace'.

It is only when we are seen at home, in the classrooms, in the mosques/churches/temples and in government-sanctioned/sponsored activities, that we are tolerated and not criticised. We are given no alternative space to pursue what is important, meaningful and/or of interest to us.

But while we now have more money, and therefore, more purchasing power than previous generations of youth, we remain powerless in the political and decision-making spheres, both locally and nationally.

Youths are forced into activities, programmes and curricula that we have no hand in designing or implementing. The best of recent examples would be the National Service programme, which was designed to instil values of patriotism, unity and discipline in us (since we Malaysian youths are obviously a bunch of unpatriotic, self-centred, lazy miscreants).

No matter how our politicians spin this issue, the NS remains a horrid failure where youths resorted to speaking with their fists when their voices were ignored.

Youths are, on top of everything else, kept from being 'human'. We are not allowed to express our sentiments even positive ones like love (through, say, holding hands or embracing in public) using the age-old excuse that they are incompatible with our 'Asian values'.

Boys cannot cry, or their teachers will scold them for being 'girlish'. Girls cannot cut their hair in 'boyish' fashions because this encourages 'deviant behaviour'. I am aware that the limits on sexuality affect older people too, but I find their effects especially significant on young persons who are just beginning to discover, and come to terms with, their sexuality and self-identity.

Given all this, and keeping in mind the many other issues that concern young persons, not least the repressive laws that curtail our freedom, Pak Lah's statement 'This is why I say that it is great to be young in Malaysia', seems ironically disturbing.

While I am appreciative of all that has been done to benefit us youths, there is still a long way to go. It is no longer enough to provide youths with basic education and see to our daily needs.

We demand more. We demand equal participation in all areas of decision-making. We demand access to information, resources and public facilities without any ageist restrictions. We demand freedom and fundamental liberties, specifically the freedom and right of expression.

We should also have the right to express ourselves through the vote. When in every other way, a citizen is considered to have reached the age of majority at 18 years, why should this one right accorded to other citizens, elude us?

I call upon our youth minister, Azalina Said, and the prime minister to take practical, constructive measures to improve the lot of our youth. The proposal of including a youth activist as senator is a step in the right direction.

However, this is a waste if the youth activist is an 'old' person (above 30). Let's have some young blood, and let's start listening to what our youth are saying.

Only when the PM and Azalina prove their commitment to Malaysian youths and our issues, will they be deserving of the title 'Father of National Youth Development' and the job of youth minister, respectively.

The people of Malaysia have given the government a great mandate. They must live up to it across all areas including youth concerns. Only then can we realise the dream of Belia Cemerlang, Bangsa Gemilang, Negara Terbilang.