Amanah president Mohamad Sabu has urged the party to adapt to the new political landscape shaped by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, saying the younger generation’s activism often emerges spontaneously and without formal leadership.
“There is a new trend among the younger generation. Sometimes they rise without leaders. We have seen this happen in other countries,” he said at the Amanah national convention here today.
Gen Z refers to those born between 1996 and 2010, while Gen Alpha are those born between 2010 and 2024.
Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, cited recent youth-led uprisings in several countries, namely Nepal and Bangladesh, where citizens took to the streets and toppled governments without central figures or party structures.
He said such movements reflected a growing wave of political consciousness among youth globally, including in Malaysia.
“A new generation is rising … movements that are not led by any particular individual. If we can’t reach out to them, we may see a mass movement without leaders in Malaysia, too.”
He urged Amanah’s youth wing to keep up with these changing dynamics and to understand the language and aspirations of the younger generation.
This group of people, he said, would speak out against injustice and speak up for the oppressed.
“If Amanah, especially its youth, cannot understand their thinking, we will be left behind,” he said.
He said the party must prepare for leadership renewal as the founding generation grows older, and ensure the next line of leaders is ready to take over, once the older generation exits politics.
On a separate matter, Mohamad spoke of his history with PAS, saying political differences should not sever personal relationships.
Mohamad was a deputy president of the Islamic party previously. In 2015, he led the professional faction in PAS out of the party after it lost the party polls to the ulama faction.
“While we differ when it comes to politics, we are still friends on a personal level. We cannot forget our friends,” he said.
