PUTRAJAYA should focus on getting unregistered eligible voters to register themselves and tackle low voter turnout at elections before pushing to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years-old, said Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

The PAS deputy president said there are four million eligible voters who had not registered.

“We have 4 million who have not registered to vote. The government should resolve this issue first,” he told reporters at Parliament today. 

He also said that the government should tackle issues on how to make registered voters to come out and vote. 

“There is also political consciousness to make sure all registered voters come out and vote. The vote count is indeed a concern,” the Kubang Kerian MP said.

Tuan Ibrahim said Thailand sets a good example on how to address the unregistered voters issue.

“If you look at Thailand, voting is mandatory. Eligible voters are not given any government benefit if they do not vote. So, our government should approach this issue first before lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years-old,” he said. 

Last week, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said lowering Malaysia’s voting age from 21 to 18 will increase the total number of voters to more than 50% of the country’s population.

The reduction of voting age is also a key promise in the Pakatan Harapan election manifesto.

Regionally, Malaysia and Singapore are the only countries in Asean which restrict the voting age to 21.

If Malaysia manages to lower it, Singapore will remain the only country in Asean with the voting age at 21. – July 1, 2019.