Voting Intentions Among Millenials in Malaysia

Ong, Monna Siew Siew (2023) Voting Intentions Among Millenials in Malaysia. Doctoral thesis, Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

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Abstract

Millennials’ voting intentions have become an exciting research topic in recent years due to the lowering of the minimum voting age to 18 years in Malaysia. This change in the law is expected to have a significant impact on the outcome of the election. Limited research exists on factors influencing voting intentions. One theory that is relevant for predicting voting intentions is the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). However, there is limited research on the extent to which the TPB can be used to predict voting intentions among millennials in Malaysia. Furthermore, it remains largely unknown whether political participation is a mediator of the relationships between the components of the TPB (i.e., attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control) and voting intentions. It is also crucial to investigate the role of strata (urban/rural) as a moderator of the relationship between TBP components and voting intention. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of voting intentions among Malaysian millennials. Additionally, it examined the role of political participation as a mediator of the relationships between attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and voting intentions. Furthermore, the study explored whether strata (urban/rural) moderated the mediation effects by using proportionate stratified random sampling. A total of 951 participants aged 20–29 years completed a paper-and-pencil survey measuring attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, political participation, and voting intentions. The results of structural equation modelling analysis showed that attitudes and perceived behaviour control were significant predictors of voting intentions while subjective norms were not a significant predictor. Political participation was found to be a significant mediator of the relationship between attitudes and perceived behavioural control on one hand and voting intentions on the other. Strata (urban/rural) was not a significant moderator. The findings underscore the roles of attitudes and perceived behavioural control in predicting voting intentions among Malaysian millennials and demonstrate that attitudes and perceived behavioural control are related to voting intentions through the mediation of political participation, regardless of strata. This research provides an impetus for future studies aimed at better understanding voting intentions using the TPB framework and exploring the underlying mechanisms. Although further research is needed, government officials and policy makers could examine how attitudes, perceived behavioural control, and political participation relate to voting intentions among millennials.