Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges facing the world today, and addressing it through education has become a priority in many countries where climate change education is already mandatory. It’s time for Malaysia to take this step as well. This issue was the focus of the Youth Parliamentary Debathon 2024, held at the Dewan Banquet Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar, Johor Bahru, where young debaters, aged 14 to 25, passionately argued whether Malaysia should enforce mandatory climate change education in high schools.

The event, organized by KiniEvents and Malaysiakini in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia, brought together young minds to engage in meaningful discourse on the future of climate change education. The debate was chaired and moderated by Hafizul Syarafi bin Mohd Noor, a member of GRASS Malaysia, who expertly guided the proceedings and encouraged participants to exchange ideas with respect and open-mindedness.

YB Tuan Mohd Hairi Bin Mad Shah, Member of the Johor State Executive Council and Chairman of Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives, and Human Resources emphasized the importance of empowering youth with the knowledge and responsibility to tackle climate change and spoke in favor of integrating climate change education into Malaysia’s school curriculum.

Iman Ridzwan, the Event Producer for KiniEvents, emphasized the importance of equipping students with knowledge about climate change to foster environmental awareness and responsibility from a young age. Iman highlighted the role of education in preparing future generations to address environmental challenges and contribute to sustainable development.

Government bench debater Haniff Iman emphasized that incorporating climate change literacy into the curriculum would not only align with the nation’s long-term environmental goals but also empower students to understand and actively participate in efforts to combat climate change. He proposed that schools implement curriculum changes to ensure that climate change education is comprehensive, engaging, and aligned with Malaysia’s efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Meanwhile, debater Ain Sophiah from the Opposition bench defended her position that the focus should remain on improving existing subjects rather than introducing new ones. She suggested that creating more subjects could overload students and detract from fostering a genuine understanding and commitment to climate action. Instead, she argued for integrating climate change topics into existing subjects and enhancing real-world actions and discussions around the issues.

Throughout the debate, the young debaters demonstrated impressive rhetorical skills and a strong grasp of the issues at hand. According to post-event feedback, many participants felt that the training sessions provided by GRASS Malaysia, the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia, and the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking (MIDP) had helped them develop key skills in critical thinking, public speaking, and policy analysis. These sessions empowered debaters to build evidence-based arguments, engage in thoughtful rebuttals, and examine issues from multiple perspectives—skills that will serve them well in their future academic and professional pursuits.

Several debaters also shared how the experience sparked their interest in environmental issues and motivated them to explore ways to advocate for policy changes. This level of engagement is a testament to the power of youth participation in debates that address the most pressing issues of our time.

Fatimah Zainal, Press and Information Officer from the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia emphasized the vital role that debates play in shaping youth leadership. She noted that debates are not just platforms for young people to voice their opinions on pressing issues such as climate change education; they are also valuable tools for strengthening confidence, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

She concluded by congratulating all participants for their dedication and hard work. Fatimah recognized that platforms like the Youth Parliamentary Debathon empower the younger generation to take an active role in shaping the future, particularly when it comes to issues as important as climate change.

The Youth Parliamentary Debathon 2024 is organized by KiniEvents and Malaysiakini, in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia, with strong support from our partners, including Pejabat Jurutulis Dewan Negeri Johor as our venue partner, the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking (MIDP) as our soft skills training partner, and co-partners such as the Institute for Research and Development of Policy, Uniten, Uniten Debate and Oratory Society, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and GRASS Malaysia.