Image: Shutterstock, Inc/ Jiri Flogel
A survey presented during World Economic Forum on ASEAN meeting inPhnomPenh, Cambodia earlier this month shows that youth in ASEAN countries have faith in ASEAN as a regional organization and in the possibility of having a better future.
The result shows that 69 percent of ASEAN youth expect to have a better quality oflifethan their parents while 13 percent expect theoppositeand the 19% remains neutral.
The result also shows that 90 percent of ASEAN youths are aware of the organization and understand its goals. Moreover, 64 percent of them also believe that being part of ASEAN will improve their career while only 5 percent think the opposite.
The Chairman of Malaysian CIMB Group Mohamed Nazir bin AbdulRazakwho was present at the meeting said the result implied that awareness around regional integration has been built well by ASEAN countries.
It also suggests that now is the time for policy-makers to shift gear away from awareness and towards action. It is time to go beyond awareness-building, towards accelerating integration. The next generation wants it,Razaksaid.
The survey was conducted online by the Forum's ASEAN Regional Strategy Group (RSG) in partnership with a Singapore-based internet company Sea Group.
It involved 23,700 youth aged 18-22 of ASEAN countries. Half of the respondents had tertiary education while the rest werehigh schoolgraduates; 70 percent of the respondents are male and the rest are female.
The survey result itself was shown during ASEAN 50th anniversary where 26 ASEAN chief executive officers (CEO), government minister and academics were present.
(brl/red)
