VOTING is a civic responsibility which needs to be fulfilled by every citizen of a democratic nation. In 2019, the Dewan Rakyat passed the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019, also known as the Undi18 bill, which reduces the voting age from 21 to 18. On September 10, 2019, Undi18 was written into law. Although this was a monumental victory in itself, we have realised that lowering the voting age is not going to change anything if the youth do not go out to vote in the first place. 

The recent elections, in Johor, were the first to see a new demographic of young voters between the ages of 18 and 21. This brought the total number of voters in Johor to 2.5 million compared to 1.8 million voters in 2018 general election. However, voter turnout for the Johor state elections was relatively low, with only 54.92% of the total registered voters casting their ballots, despite an increase of nearly 750,000 voters including 175,000 voters under 21 years old.

In response to this, Undi18, Architects of Diversity, and UndiNegaraku came together to launch a campaign, called #Undi100Peratus, to increase youth voter turnout and encourage young Malaysians to be more involved in the nation’s politics. 

Why is this so important? How will this affect Malaysia?  

If young people were to vote in the 2023 election, this would add an estimated 7.8 million new voters to the 14 million on the rolls. This is a huge number which have the potential to shift the outcome of the election. During the 2018 general election, the incumbent government was defeated, with the hope that a new government would mean a new start for Malaysia. Many of the voters who lobbied for change during the previous elections were youngsters, who realised the importance of fair elections and a competent government. When the young choose their leaders, they are doing so with their own welfare in mind because it is these youngsters, and not the older generations, who are going to have to be affected by the new government policies.

It is true that more political exposure will be beneficial, especially in the long run, but knowledge and experience should not be a bar to voting. It is arguable that young people may not know enough to vote. But the fact is, nowadays the young know more about their politicians than the older generation, thanks to the internet. In a democracy like Malaysia, we can’t deny people their right to vote merely because a group of society feel that they might vote “wrongly”. 

While the youth may make mistakes, this is no excuse to curb their enthusiasm. Instead, this enthusiasm and love for the country should be encouraged. The older generation has to realise that the future does not belong to them and that it is time to pass the reins of government to the youth.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said: “Grey hair (is no longer) accepted as the mark of wisdom; what matters most today is the competence of the younger generation in handling an important job.”

The MP said this in relation to 25-year-old Jocelyn Yow in the United States, who has paternal roots in Kedah and became the mayor of California, the youngest to hold such a post in the country. 

In the 21st century and with its modern problems ahead of us, Malaysia needs a fresh perspective and innovative ideas to progress. If a person can be allowed to get married at 18, then there is no reason to say that he is not mature enough to exercise his democratic rights. The groundwork has been successfully laid down, but it is now our responsibility to make the change – by voting. 

Politics isn’t something alien; it shapes everything we do. The more people realise this, the more Malaysia will have a chance to move forward. – July 6, 2022.

* Hiral Sanghvi 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.