Azmin: Lowering voting age requires federal, state amendments
SHAH ALAM: The move to lower the voting age to 18 is a long process that entails several amendments to election provisions, which need to be followed and adhered to, says Senior International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
In addressing criticism against the Election Commission (EC) over its move to implement the lowered voting age to September next year, Azmin said the amendments also need to be gazetted at both the federal and state levels.
“Amendments must also be done at the state level. We can’t implement it only at the parliamentary stage and not the state legislative assembly.
“I’ve been made to understand that only one state has undergone the process,” he said when asked to comment on the issue.
Azmin was speaking after officiating the Rapat Malaysia Prihatin programme at the International Trade and Industry Ministry here yesterday.
Azmin, who is the Perikatan Nasional election director, said that although the matter had been passed in Parliament, it did not mean the process was complete.
“We brought this amendment to Parliament, debated it and passed it, but it doesn’t end there. There are many provisions which need to be amended, an example being the electoral roll.
“The decision to allow our youth to be involved in the democratic process has been made, but some amendments to the electoral provisions must also be made to meet amendments at the federal level.
“The EC has also explained... it just so happens that there is a Movement Control Order... it may have disrupted the process so they need more time for the process (to be completed).”
He said the government had never promised that the 15th General Election (GE15) would be held earlier than its due date.
“When the amendment was made, it was in the hope that they would be able to vote in the next GE which is in 2023. Who promised to hold it in 2020 or 2021?”
In Marang, Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang backed the deferment of the move.
Voting, he said, wasn’t dependent on one’s age only, but also involved the voters’ maturity in electing a government.
“Voting is dependent on maturity (of voters), not just when someone reaches 18. We cannot be influenced by the West.
“Islam touches on the age of maturity. Maturity can be obtained at 18 or even 25. Some people haven’t matured even at 40.
“Unfortunately, we are guided by the concept of Western democracy. Age isn’t necessarily an indicator of maturity,” he said after delivering a lecture at the Rusila Mosque here.
Pas, he said, wasn’t affected by the decision as the party wanted mature voters to choose a mature government.
“For Pas, maturity is more important than age to qualify as a voter.”
However, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the amendment to the minimum voting age should be expedited as it had been approved in the Dewan Rakyat.
“The definition of youth, maturity and the like are subjective. (For a person) to make a national policy, he or she must first reach the accepted age (of maturity). This is what happened in #Undi18. The age of 18 has been accepted as mature enough,” he tweeted.