democracy discourse fellow

Fahmi Reza

Fahmi Reza is an outspoken political graphic designer and activist hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With over two decades of experience, Fahmi has fearlessly used his art and activism to critique the Malaysian government, and as a result, has faced numerous repercussions including arrests, charges, bans and even a jail sentence. His passion for merging art, activism, and politics is evident in his unyielding efforts to use his creative work as a means of exploring the power of art as a vehicle for promoting political discourse and igniting social change.

Country

Malaysia

Kelas Demokrasi

During Malaysia’s 15th General Election of 2022, which marked the first election after the voting age was lowered to 18 from 21, Fahmi took the initiative to promote political literacy among thousands of first-time voters across the country through his pioneering initiative, Kelas Demokrasi (Democracy Class). By conducting virtual classes on TikTok Live and crafting bite-sized, informative videos that were disseminated through various social media platforms, he successfully reached out to young voters. His unbiased, neutral, and easy-to-understand approach garnered a large following, with thousands of viewers tuning in. In addition, he was invited by students from 12 universities across Malaysia to deliver both in-person and virtual classes, aimed at equipping young voters with the essential knowledge required to make informed decisions while exercising their democratic right to vote.

Kelas Demokrasi 2023 — State Elections

In anticipation of the upcoming State Elections in Malaysia in 2023, Fahmi is gearing up for a follow-up project to his successful Kelas Demokrasi initiative. This new project will focus on the creation of fresh content and new classes that are specifically tailored to first-time voters in the state elections, with a particular emphasis on topics that relate to local democracy. The project also aims to capture and document Fahmi’s distinctive teaching style and learning materials related to voter education and political literacy, with the ultimate goal of making them accessible on a dedicated website. The project will culminate in a Kelas Demokrasi Campus Tour, during which Fahmi will conduct in-person classes aimed at equipping young Malaysians with the knowledge and skills required to make informed decisions when casting their votes. This new project builds on the success of Fahmi’s earlier efforts and promises to further enhance political literacy among first-time voters in Malaysia.

Links:

Fahmi Reza’s TikTok Account:
https://www.tiktok.com/@kuasasiswa

Fahmi Reza’s Twitter Account:
https://twitter.com/kuasasiswa?s=21

Fahmi Reza’s Instagram Account:
https://instagram.com/kuasasiswa

Instagram:
https://instagram.com/kelasdemokrasi