RECENTYLY Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Takiyuddin Hassan confirmed Malaysians as young as 18 would be allowed to vote. Thd assurance came following reports the Election Commission had wanted to postpone the process to next year.

As someone who’s recently turned 20, I’d say my peers and I are elated over the news. Why so? Because our cohort is misunderstood. Now that we can make our voices heard at the ballot, I believe the government and aspiring policy-makers will start to take us more seriously.

For example, when news emerged that the #Undi18 move would be postponed to next year, critics accused the government of being afraid of the young. Painting us with a broad brush does not do justice to who we are. We are the first generations of Malaysians who grew up with the internet and we are plugged in to a global village.

We have world views unlike our forefathers. The seniors may find some of us to be socially awkward and some have even labelled us the “marshmallow generation” purportedly because we are less “resilient” but these seniors are just looking at things with outdated biases.

We are unique and going through a transformation unlike any our seniors have seen. There are now a host of issues that lawmakers will have to consider the views of the “#Undi18 Generation” on issues that did not exist five or 10 years ago.

For example, as someone who’s on the verge of graduating from a local university, I am worried about housing affordability. Lawmakers will now have to seek solutions to such pressing problems.

Another important issue for us is internet connectivity. MPs and assemblymen, many of whom are from the analogue era, will have to familiarise themselves with the technology to confront the issues.

The voice of the youth in Malaysia is set to get louder with #Undi18 practically a done deal. Instead of fearing that the young people would dilute the voice of older voters, politicians should view #Undi18, which had bipartisanship support in the past, as a transformative move to springboard Malaysia into the next phase of growth.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank all the MPs and the government who has made #Undi18 a reality. It is for the betterment of the country, really. – May 5, 2021.

* C. K. Lim reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.