EIGHTEEN-year-olds will be allowed to contest in an election for the first time, in the Tanjung Piai by-election next month, said the Election Commission.

“They can contest in accordance to what has already been gazetted,” said EC chairman Azhar Azizan Harun in Putrajaya today.

Azhar was commenting on whether 18 year-olds would be allowed to run for election following the constitutional amendment on July 16 in the Dewan Rakyat.

According to the Attorney-General Chambers’ website, the amendments to Article 47 and Article 119 received royal assent on September 4 and were gazetted on September10.

Azhar said the final decision, however, lies with the returning officer for the Tanjung Piai poll.

“The EC will engage with all the parties to speak to them on what was amended in parliament and is already gazetted,” said Azhar told a press conference.

He earlier announced that polling for the parliamentary seat would be held on November 16, with early voting on November 12 and nomination day on November 2.

The seat fell vacant with the death of Dr Md Farid Md Rafik of Pakatan Harapan-Bersatu on September 21 of heart complications. The 42-year-old MP was also a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

An anaesthesiologist by profession, Farid helped PH to capture the seat for the first time in the 14th general election last year

He polled 21,255 votes to beat Wee Jeck Seng (BN-MCA) by 524 votes. Wee had 20,731 votes and PAS’ Nordin Othman, 2,962 votes. – October 1, 2019.