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Undi18 Is Like Buying Condoms for The First Time All Over Again
By Mihar Dias
(C) Copyright February 2022
“This Undi18 gives me the jitters. It’s like buying condoms for the first time all over again. When I turned 18 I went to buy condoms for the first time in my life. There was this feeling of fear of being found out. I mean guilt. But there’s also excitement and anxiety. All that orgasms that I read about. That intense feeling that my friends told me when you climax. The change that would overcome a guy who because of one condom becomes a man. If it broke I would be a father instead. That feeling of being in a state of anxiety of missing out on sex and fear of having to be responsible for another human being for the rest of my life. Then there was the embarrassment about asking a pharmacist what brand I wanted”.
We wanted to know how a young man felt about going to vote as an Undi18 voter. Never in our wildest dreams did we expect such an answer!
This guy was 19 going 20 we met by chance at a cafe. He was reluctant to share his name. Anyway, we explored further why he equated voting with buying condoms.
“You see people talked so much about giving us young people a chance to participate in this democratic process. Just like sex. Before they said don’t even try, then they said OK as long as we’re above 16!”
So why the anxiety then?
“Everyone seems to be pressuring us. All are counting on us to make and create change. That “Mula” Muda, fella keeps saying “We got to change the government!” So, that’s why I compare to condoms. I can enjoy sex, have ecstasy, but if it broke my life would change forever. Same here. We try hard. Shout here. Shout there. If no change happens, fruit lo!”
Why did you mention embarrassment about buying a brand of condoms?
“Don’t you know? There are so many brands of condoms. When the pharmacist asked me which brand I wanted, I froze. He smiled at me. He knew I was a virgin. I was embarrassed. Same thing in the election, when they asked which party I would vote for I’d have to stop and think! I am still a virgin in politics. You can lose your virginity only once. So, must think hard which party would be most kind to you!”
Hmmm, I didn’t know we have so many parties involved in the Johor state election. Is the number equal to the brands of condoms in the market.
“Almost. There’s that new brand called Pejuang. My friends cannot say the Malay word so we called it Pujawang! Then there’s Mula. You don’t know mula? Just started. “Baru Mula, lo”.
Do you mean Muda?
“Yes, that Syed fella. Yes, good man. Then that former PAS fella what’s his name? Sabu? He joined Lim Guan Eng. They’re going together to fight for seats in the state assembly. Also, A.I. lo. He’s going solo leaving Guan Eng and Sabu. Of course, UMNO MIC, MCA, Gerakan, BERSATU. That’s 10. I heard Warisan might come in. Rumours may be. But 10 confirmed lo! Imagine, last year at 18 first time going to pharmacy looking at these 10 brands, Aiyaa how to choose?”
He paused. I shook my head. “‘You tell me!”
“For this coming Johor election for people like me and my friends, it’s like just going into a pharmacy near our house, for the first time. We’re looking for a brand we can trust. When I wanted a condom my seniors told me to buy any old brand. They were more reliable than these new ones. They gave me an English sounding one “Du…” something. But in politics, we cannot trust the old foxes lo. Aiyaa, Old ones not so reliable”.
What about the new ones?
“Hiyaa! New ones come from China. They break easily”.
What I meant were the new political parties.
“Same, we don’t know yet. Advertisements of China-made condoms sound so good. But many of my friends are now fathers by accident lo. You and I, we must think, no matter how good they promise they would be but when they’re in office who is to know what they’ll do. At least old ones we knew they cheated, they lied, they took our money, they spent government money on boats, diamonds and they ‘@$#@’ everybody”.
Whom would you vote for then?
“Don’t know yet. Maybe I check with my dad before I go to the polling station”.
After our interview with that young man, we thought it would be advisable to take a break and digest what he told us.
If we took this guy as the average Joe that was going to vote in March most of the young voters it seemed would be anxious, apprehensive and cynical just about every politician and any political party. They would be in doubt whether they would be able to bring the change that we so badly needed to put a check on the mess we are in now.
But like any newcomer to the political scene, this young man must have found the expectation quite overwhelming.
This respondent was right that there are essentially 10 parties that would later be grouped under various umbrellas and the young voters would have a hard time understanding their platforms.
However, for the old folks forecasts seem to say they would go for the older parties. Something like “Better the devil you know”, as insinuated by the 19-year-old who would rather resort to an established brand of condoms that they knew full well would not easily break rather than taking a chance on newer ones.
Finally, you might want to ask, was this guy real? What was his name? I must say I failed as a journalist. I do not know his name or where he lived. I knew nothing about his background, his family or his education. I didn’t even selfie with him. It was just a random interview at a cafe one morning. He was full of surprises.
But then again if I knew I would still need to protect my sources.
We’ll wait and see how Undi18 turns out!
Mihar Dias is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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