Programme Coordinator, Undi Negaraku null

#Undi18 is a Malaysian grassroots movement, spearheaded by a group of young people that have successfully lobbied the Government and Parliament of Malaysia to amend Article 119(1) of the Federal Constitution to reduce the minimum voting age in Malaysia from 21 to 18 years old. The main aim of the #Undi18's programs is to develop competences (knowledge, skills, attitudes) of Malaysian youths on how to organize and run activities that aim to motivate and educate young people about citizenship, voter education and participation in political, economic and social life through experiential learning and simulations.

The lowering of the voting age to 18 and other titanic political shifts in Malaysia recently means that young people are getting more interested and involved in social and political issues. But there are few opportunities for those young people to learn, speak up, or get involved in issues that are important for them outside the existing party organs, which are usually built on identity politics. Undi18 wants to become a hub to help young people constructively participate in the larger political process of the country.

Despite the political instability and the pandemic, Undi18 strives to give a voice to the people by  organizing programmes like Parlimen Digital, and Undi Ketiga that has provided the platform for Malaysian youth to voice up and participate in democracy. These activities have led to several other spin-off activities by the participants themselves. Throughout the years, we have organized numerous town halls, forums and public engagements to raise awareness on youth democratic representation and lowering the voting age. We have also engaged with politicians from multiple sides of the political divide, where they presented their case for the lowering of the voting age in Malaysia. Our core belief is that youth empowerment transcends political lines.

Objective:

 Building on the effort of how the Undi18 movement successfully advocated for a historic Constitutional Amendment in Malaysia, we want to empower other young Malaysians to start thinking about and working towards actionable change. As an Undi 18-powered organisation, Undi Negaraku seeks to build a movement of champions for democracy. By establishing a network of state chapters across Malaysia, Undi Negaraku aims to provide youths with a unique avenue to learn about policy and activism from a non-partisan lens, and to serve as encouragement for youths to actively participate in the socio-political democratic life on the local and national levels. 

Undi Negaraku members are expected to participate in Undi Negaraku activities and programmes, contribute to implementing projects and activities of Undi Negaraku, and advocate the Undi Negaraku vision within their communities. In short, members will utilise the tools given to them to create their own educational content, bring awareness to issues that their specific state may be facing, or even approach their local state governments as youth representatives of their own communities.

Roles & Responsibilities: 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Manage existing and develop new relationships with stakeholders and partner organisations.
• Leading project planning sessions.
• Support planning and coordination of the programme.
• Maintain budget and track expenditures/transactions.
• Develop and coordinate fundraising strategies.
• Manage communications through media relations, social media etc.
• Optimising and improving processes and the overall approach where necessary.

Note: This job description is not a definitive list of tasks; rather it is designed to give an overview of the job. It is envisaged that the post-holder will use their own initiative and develop the job under guidance so that the organisation’s aims are achieved. It should be noted that the organisation is dynamic and fast-paced and it may be necessary to step beyond the areas outlined above to support others from time to time.

Requirements:

• Good verbal and written communication skills, ability to communicate with a wide range of specialist and non-specialist audiences of diverse backgrounds and political views.
• Excellent organisational, time management and project management skills, including the ability to multitask with tight deadlines.
• Ability to handle sensitive information with the utmost confidentiality and maturity, especially in regards to working with underage participants.
• English and BM proficiency.

Ideal, but not compulsory:

• Experience in government relations, including but not limited to correspondence, stakeholder engagements and protocols.
• Experience in working with the media.
• Experience in engaging Malaysian youth groups, coalitions or political parties.
• Proficiency in any Malaysian local languages and dialects.