Being a politician can be a very tricky position because there are many differing expectations of you. It is always important to listen to both sides of the story and advocating for what’s right. Furthermore, a good politician is able to prioritise the needs of the country before themselves. As such, One Young World is recognising great politicians around the world. We are happy to inform you that our very own Syed Saddiq is part of the shortlist!
One Young World is a youth leadership summit that is based in the UK. Each year, they shortlist politicians from around the world that are in the running for their Politician of the Year award.
This award will honour 5 distinguished politicians that are between the ages of 18 to 35. Additionally, the most important factor is whether they are leaving a positive impact and influence to the youth community in their home country.
In the 2020 edition, our former Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq, is part of the shortlist. He is among 15 young politicians that judges identify as being most impactful in their field.
Moving on, One Young World is crediting Syed Saddiq for his role as a minister here in Malaysia. Furthermore, they are also looking at his work in the “Projek Reben Kuning” which aims to provide job opportunities to young ex-convicts. Syed Saddiq then took to Twitter to express his gratitude and encouragement.
Some other notable politicians include Zarifa Ghafari from Afghanistan, Erik Marquardt from Germany, and Ebba Hermansson from Sweden. Zarifa is the first ever female mayor of Maydan Wardak Province. In addition, she is in charge of the female division of an independent journalists association.
Meanwhile, Erik is a strong advocate for refugee rights and is working towards improving the situation of refugees. Lastly, Ebba is the youngest Member of Parliament in Sweden (she’s only 24!) and speaks regularly on matters regarding gender equality.
At the moment, the nominees are still under evaluation by a panel of judges. About mid-July, they will be announcing the five recipients of the award. Then, the winners will receive this award at the One Young World Summit in Munich next year.
