GenNext knows little about Asean

THE younger generation is expected to become the next echelon of Asean (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) leaders.

This was stated by Dr Pushpa Thambipillai, a senior lecturer specialising in Politics and International Relations from the Department of Public Policy under the Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies, while speaking at the dialogue session on "Asean Charter: Its Prospects and Implications".

But how knowledgeable or aware are the youth in Brunei about the Asean Charter that was recently signed in November 2007?

The Brunei Times asked this question to some of the students who attended the dialogue session.

Husna, a student from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Policy Studies (FBEPS) at the Universiti Brunei Darussalam, admits to not knowing about Asean in detail but is aware of the important events that surround the regional organisation such as their summits and the number of members.

"I am aware of the happenings of Asean from watching the news and also from reading it online but I need to know these information because I am taking the Asean course this semester," she added.

Regarding the question whether she sees herself as a citizen of Asean, Husna genuinely said that the fact that she took the course is one such move that she indeed see herself as an Asean citizen.

She also seemed optimistic to play an even bigger role when "perhaps I'm a certified economist or policy maker."

Three other students Khairul Bariah Ahmad, Adina Hazri and Abang Muhd Shairazi Hj Abang Zainuddin, all third year students from FBEPS, admitted as well that they only dug up on Asean related information because they were taking a course on Asean.

However, Khairul Bariah suggested to knowing basic information on the organisation prior to taking up the course.

Adina suggested that there is a lack of knowledge on Asean as an organisation, especially among the younger generation because it does not affect them directly.

"The Asean politics mostly affects the elite such as policy makers and thus the younger generation like myself, do not automatically assume that we can contribute towards its development," she added.

Abang Muhd Shairazi Hj Abang Zainuddin did acknowledge that there have been numerous ways that "Brunei has tried to gain some form of efforts in creating a buzz among the students of Asean."

Dr Pushpa herself suggests that Bruneian youths are still at a small stage to be blamed for the lack of knowledge when it comes to Asean but perhaps in a few years down the line, they can begin to get a grasp of what it truly means to be an Asean and further appreciate it. This can be seen from the Asean corners and Asean quizzes done last year but to what extent they are effective is still debatable.

The Brunei Times