Exploring the Youth's Social Mobility towards Socio-economic Development: A Case Study of Bagan Datuk, Perak, Malaysia

Abstract

The news and government report on Malaysian youths' reluctance to sit for their high school examinations and further their studies have become a significant problem for Malaysia's social capital, socioeconomic development, and future outlook. It was reported that, 25,000 SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) candidates did not want to sit for the 2022 examination, while 72.1% of SPM leavers do not want to pursue for tertiary education. It is troubling when the young generation's contribution to the national growth is crucial in achieving the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (WKB2030) and the 12th National Plan (RMK12). The endemic phase aggravated the youth unemployment rate, thus slowing the domestic economy for the local population, especially in suburban and rural areas. Tasked with the challenges of seeking employment and family economics had limited other development opportunities such as tertiary education and entrepreneurship. This study explored the issues of the youths' social mobility in the state of Perak, Malaysia. The countries' national agenda and the dynamics of youth mobility strategies formed the conceptual framework for exploring the challenges through a qualitative design research project. The findings evoked youths' input on entrepreneurial interests and feedback for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to circumvent and resolve the dwindling number of youths' socioeconomic mobility. The implications from the bottom-up findings provide realistic insights from the current young generation on their wants for the change champions and the government to adjust the national and state strategies to create a society where there is youth fidelity by having realistic opportunities for empowerment towards their potential, contribute to the community and self-advance socioeconomically.