A RECENT study by Universiti Malaysia Sabah revealed the Undi18 voter turnout in the coming 15th general election could be “dramatically low”. 

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities associate professor Lee Kuok Tiung told The Malaysian Insight in the voter registration exercise, the new voters are registered in constituencies according to their address in the National Registration Department (NRD) database, not where they currently reside.

“In other words, their polling areas would be based on the address on their MyKad. The majority of these new voters are now in the towns and the implication is that they have said they, in all probability, would not go home to vote,” Lee said.

“They have either followed their parents in migrating from their rural home town or village to the major urban centres in search of a job or they have moved to continue their studies or look for work.

“Returning to their rural homes in Sabah and Sarawak could be a hassle due to poor transport. In some cases, such a trip might take a couple of days.” 

Lee said the new voters have said they would rather not vote for the first time than make the trip home just to cast their vote.

He said they could go to the NRD to change their address and then to the Election Commission to change their polling area. 

“They’re just not bothered. They said it’s a hassle they don’t need.” 

The study also corroborated similar studies made by a variety of organisations, including political parties, that Undi18 voters are naive, not politically mature and are easily influenced by their peers or “respected, mature figures” like their teachers. 

“Who they vote for will be influenced by their peers or opinion influencers like an adult they look up to or their favourite teacher,” Lee said. 

He said the study found these young voters “know a lot about politics” but only on the surface. 

“They don’t (seem to) take the initiative to delve into the (various political) issues, let alone understand them”. 

The amendment to the constitution, which received broad bipartisan support, added 5.8 million new voters to the electoral poll to increase the 15.8 million already on the roll to 21.1 million.

Out of the 5.8 million, between 23% to 27 % are Undi18 voters – those aged between 18 and 20.

Other than lowering the voting age, the amendments also included provisions for automatic voter registration and for the age eligibility of candidates standing in elections to be lowered to 18. – August 5, 2022.