MORE than half of Malaysia’s citizens will be eligible to vote if Parliament agrees to lower the minimum voting age to 18, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad when tabling the constitutional amendment bill for second reading today.

“Coupled with automatic voter registration, there will be an additional 7.8 million voters bringing the total to 22.7 million voters.

“This is in comparison to the 14.9 million eligible voters in the last elections held last year,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

The prime minister told dewan rakyat that the government had begun reforming the electoral process since last year.

“This include studies on automatic voter registration (AVR) and the processes needed to implement it. As such, the Election Commission will need some time before they can start AVR,” said the Langkawi MP.

The government tabled a bill to amend Articles 119 (1) (a) and 47 of the federal constitution to lower the minimum voting age and minimum candidates age 18 for Second Reading today.

Along with it, the government also proposed to amend the Eighth Schedule so that state assemblies would similarly amend their respective state constitutions. 

It also proposed to amend the constitution so that all those who have reached 18 are automatic voters.

The debate began with opposition leader Ismail Sabri (BN) and, according to Speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, there are 58 requests from MPs to debate the amendment. 

Dewan Rakyat is expected to vote on the bill after Dr Mahathir delivers his winding up speech at 6pm today.

Pakatan Harapan, which only commands 139 MPs, need to get opposition support to pass this amendment bill. If passed, this will be the second time a sitting government that does not hold a super majority has managed to amend the federal constitution. – July 16, 2019.