The official results of the 13th Malaysian general election in 2013 have been published and the governing Barisan Nasional (National Front) was able to defend their ruling with 133 parliamentary seats out of 222 all together. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat with 89 seats was strong and the results were not achieved easily - in spite of many years in jail, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, leading a coalition of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Parti Islam SeMalaysia and the Democratic Action Party managed to come to one of the closest results ever since BN's ruling - which is since Malaysia's independence 1957.

While the BN celebrates and justifies its winning, the opposition is disappointed about the results and convinced that the results have been manipulated. While Najib Tun Razak, the present and future prime minister of Malaysia, was appreciating the results, the opposition promised countermeasures and Anwar Ibrahim said that his job in Malaysian politics is not done yet.

Andre Müller
University of Suwon, South Korea

Selina Khoo  
University of Malaya, Malaysia

Abstract
The World Health Organization (2010) recommended that young people aged 18 and older should be physically active for at least 150 min per week in order to gain general health benefits. Research has shown that physical activity has a positive effect on health and society. Positive effects of physical activity are not limited to physiological parameters like aerobic fitness, but also promote psychological and social health. International research shows that regular physical activity participation is decreasing globally, especially in young people between adolescence and early adulthood.
During this phase, many young people face new life conditions, like marriage or first employment, which markedly affect their participation in physical activity. This trend is more significant for women, due to multiple responsibilities and gender roles in most societies. The shortage of sports facilities, passive transportation and the wide range of sedentary leisure time activities also negatively influence physical activity participation.
International and national policy makers need to take action to educate and encourage physical activity among the population. These actions should be multisectoral, multidisciplinary, culturally relevant and mindful of social norms. One promising way to encourage physical activity in young people can be seen in the use of mass media. Sao Paulo in Brazil is a trailblazer in initiating a huge campaign (Agita Sao Paulo) involving more than 300 institutions collaborating with multiple stakeholders that resulted in increased physical activity among the population. This program proves that the involvement of communities, universities and families is crucial to reach young people in various circumstances. However, the process of listening to, and learning from youth concerning promotion and implementation of physical activity programmes is still in its infancy. As more effective information delivery processes are developed to inform the hidden, but large population of young people between adolescence and early adulthood physical activity participation may be expected to increase.

“Health - It’s My Right!”

The year 2012 brought a promising opportunity to spread the „Sport for all“-message around the globe. The 12th International Melaka Youth Dialogue with the theme “Health it’s My Right!” was organized by the World Assembly of Youth (WAY) in order to discuss important issues related to health of the young generation. The conference, which was held in the end of June 2012 turned out to be a genuine “get together” of about 150 youth leaders coming from 30 nations who are concerned about the health of their generation. The event consisted of presentations given by professionals or leaders in the respective fields, group discussions aiming to develop a clear “health and youth” declaration and cultural activities around Melaka.
The prevalence of diseases, birth prevention, smoking and other highly relevant issues build the core of the presentations and discussions. There was obviously something missing! Physical Activity and Sport for youth was not one of the major “points of interests”. That was before it was my call on stage to prove the crucial importance of an active lifestyle.
Using a new presentation software and being aware of the audience I was prepared to deliver a strong and persuasive message, because I believe that being active is one of the keys for good health. Since I was the youngest invited speaker who was therefore also able to talk in the “young peoples’ tongue” I received full attention. After my presentation, I was approached by many people and fruitful discussions evolved. It seemed to me that everyone was reminded how crucial it is, and how easy and also how much fun it can be to work out for health, even though it remains crucial to develop partnerships between certain sectors of society in order to reach out to the whole youth.
The power of words combined with a catching presentation style can convince people to move, no matter where and how they live. This serves as my personal conclusion from an amazing event in Melaka, Malaysia.
The abstract of the presentation that was prepared with kind support by Dr. Selina Khoo from University Malaya is attached below.