Millennials and Gen Z to Dominate 2029 Electorate, PKB West Java Prepares Thousands of Young Cadres

The Regional Executive Board of the National Awakening Party (DPW PKB) in West Java is taking strategic steps ahead of the political contest in the 2029 General Election. Capitalising on the momentum of the grand PKB Jabar Fest event to be held on Sunday (14/6/2026) at the Youth Centre Arcamanik in Bandung City, PKB West Java is set to inaugurate thousands of young cadres from all corners of the region. Chairman of DPW PKB West Java, Syaiful Huda, revealed that in the 2029 political event, the voter constellation is projected to be dominated by the younger generation from the millennial and Gen Z cohorts. According to him, reading and responding to the aspirations and interests of young voters will only be accurate and effective if architected directly by cadres who also come from the younger generation. “Young people know best how to communicate with fellow young people. If the voters in 2029 will be majority Gen Z and millennials, then there is no other way but to entrust this party machine to be held by young people as well. We do not want to merely claim to be a home for young people, but we are giving them the keys to the kitchen directly,” Huda said in a statement on Friday (12/6/2026). This mass inauguration agenda will involve the cadres of the Sub-Branch Leadership Boards (DPAC) who command the party structure at the sub-district level. Currently, there are approximately 627 PKB DPACs spread across the entire West Java region. Interestingly, the entire ranks of these boards are now filled by young people, following a bold policy from DPW PKB West Java that limits the maximum age of DPAC cadres to 35 years. Huda acknowledged that implementing this age restriction was not an easy matter and initially triggered resistance from a number of senior activists within the party. Nevertheless, through a persuasive approach, the policy was eventually accepted to ensure the continuity of party regeneration. The organisational structure needs to adapt or adjust to the current situation so that dynamics in society can be responded to quickly by the progressive energy of young people. “Initially, many seniors were anxious and doubtful. That is natural. But I convinced them that politics today requires speed and rapid adaptation. These young people under the age of 35 have that energy. They are not displacing the seniors, but rather continuing the baton of struggle with new ways that are more relevant to the challenges of the times,” Huda added. The formation of this new cadre cohort across 627 sub-districts did not happen instantly, but through a very strict recruitment process. PKB West Java implemented a fit and proper test process to ensure every young person has full awareness of their political choices. The results of the fit and proper test showed an interesting fact that the majority of these young people chose to join a party not merely to pursue power through elections, but because of an awareness that political parties are strategic spaces with great reach to contribute for the benefit of the wider community. “Many assume that young people today are apathetic towards politics. Through the fit and proper test yesterday, we actually found the opposite reality. They long to be involved in public change. They realise that criticising from the outside alone is not enough; they want to enter the system to bring real benefits to the masses,” Huda asserted. Through the PKB Jabar Fest event, which will also be attended by the General Chairman of the DPP PKB, Gus Muhaimin Iskandar, PKB West Java aims to send a strong message to the public. This DPAC inauguration is positioned as a milestone of readiness and the main driving engine for thousands of young cadres at the grassroots level to consolidate strength and secure victory for PKB in the upcoming 2029 General Election.