The Role of Society as a Socialization Agent in Influencing Youth Engagement in the Electoral Process in Malaysia

Abstract

Society is one of the socialization agents capable of shaping individual behaviour. In the context of elections, voting is one of the processes of involvement in elections. There are three (3) main aspects of indirect involvement, namely registering as a voter, checking voter registration, and voting in elections. All these aspects have driving factors in ensuring individual awareness of election-related matters. This article explains the role of society in the involvement of young people in the electoral process through 12 statements presented. A total of 1500 respondents across Malaysia aged 21 to 40 were identified in this study. Quantitative methods were used to analyse the demographic characteristics of respondents and the study's findings related to statements about the role of society that can influence youth involvement in the electoral process. Overall, the study's findings indicate that societal factors are at a low level, with only one (1) statement out of 12 presented exceeding 50 percent agreement, namely the statement related to respondents' residence being active in political activities with 799 out of 1500 respondents (53.2%) agreeing. From these findings, society has a role in attracting the interest of young people to participate in the electoral process. However, the method of organizing programs by society is seen as less attractive to young people's participation. Therefore, this article will discuss statements related to the role of society and suggestions to increase youth involvement in the electoral process.