IT will be a great injustice if 18-year-olds are not allowed to vote in the general election after the law has been passed to lower the voting age, said youth leaders.

It will mean that the youth, which make up a huge chunk of the population, cannot choose their leaders or have a say in the governance of their country, even as they grow more politically conscious, they added.

About 12%, or 3.9 million, of the population are newly eligible to vote under the law that passed the house in 2019 during the Pakatan Harapan government, but the present government will deny these young adults their voting rights, said Undi18 co-founder Nur Qyira Yusri.

“By allowing greater access to voting, we empower democracy by ensuring citizens are not left out and that their voices are heard,” she said.

Allowing the youth to vote at 18 will encourage them to pay attention to national issues and to care for the country from a younger age, she added.

“It is beneficial to develop awareness and commitment to foster a generation of socially conscious young voters. 

“It incentivises youth to change, to become more diverse,” Nur Qyira said.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 passed Dewan Negara in July 2019 and was gazetted two months later. 

The Election Commission (EC) said previously that the law, along with automatic voter registration, would be implemented by July this year.

But Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim recently said it will take too much time and resources to adapt the electoral system to let 18-year-olds vote.

Rais’s remarks drew a backlash, leading civil society groups to urge the EC to state exactly what obstacles were in the way of accommodating the law.

Under the new law, an estimated 7.8 million new voters would be on the electoral roll by 2023, when the term of parliament expires and the 15th general election is held.

There is speculation, however, that polls could be held sooner than that given the political infighting between Umno and Bersatu which are in the PN government.

PN ousted the PH government in February last year, an episode that Nur Qyira believed led more young people to take an interest in current affairs and their political and social responsibilies which they felt their politicians had neglected.

“Young people are rallying and getting involved. They attend webinars, and participate in welfare movements while the older generation are busy politicking and discussing who will be the next prime minister. 

“Young people are one of the most politically aware groups in Malaysia, they are keen to  discuss policy matters.” 

DAP Youth chief Howard Lee believed the ousting of PH had left young people politically disillusioned and they had “welcomed the opportunity to vote”.

“Many people say that young people are not ready to participate in politics and voting. This is a myth.”

Lee added that based on observations on social media, young people are vocal about their disappointment in the current government.

Instead of finding excuses to stop young people from voting, Lee said political parties should work on educating them about politics.

“Education is needed so that every citizen understands his or her rights.

“We don’t want the government to expect blind support from the people by keeping them ignorant and manipulating them.”

MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong said the disgust that young people feel about politics should not be ignored.

It shows they care about the country, she added.

“Many people will say that young people in our country are slow to learn, but I don’t think so. 

“It may be the environment or the mentality of the elders that makes these adults say that youth are ignorant and do not know anything.

“We must let young people take responsibility for their choices,” Wong said.

Their political awareness should not be underestimated, she added, because young people are able to make comparisons between Malaysian politics and politics in other countries.

They are more critical now, and able to assess whether an elected representative or a candidate is really interested in public service.

“With the development of social media, young people can compare the differences between our country and foreign countries. What kind of country and what development are they looking for?” 

Nur Qyira added that young people were also very concerned about the economy, as unemployment is high and many are unable to find jobs in their field of study despite their qualifications.

“Malaysian youth are facing the highest levels of unemployment right now, and they can see that politicians are using it as political ammunition in their arguments. 

“So the young really should be given a say on such matters,” she said.

DAP’s Lee said the government is unenthusiastic about Undi18 as it fears it does not have the support of young voters. – March 19, 2021.