Registration of young voters still low — EC

PUTRAJAYA: The awareness of youths aged 21 and 39 to register as voters is still low compared to the other age groups, said Election Commission ( EC) chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah.

He said out of 30,000 students of institutions of higher learning approached by EC under the Voter Education Programme since February, only 2,700 or less than 10 per cent registered as voters.

He said this continued to baffle the EC despite various awareness campaigns including going to the ground so that youths could exercise their right to vote as citizens.

“They cited various excuses, some do not know where to register, others do not want to be involved in politics and thought registering as a voter was getting

They cited various excuses, some do not know where to register, others do not want to be involved in politics and thought registering as a voter was getting involved in politics and some said one vote would not amount to anything. Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah, Election Commission (EC�� chairman

involved in politics and some said one vote would not amount to anything.

“There is a university with 5,000 students already aged 21 but only 2,000 registered as voters,” he said after launching the MySPR Semak voter verification application and the 60th anniversary of EC, here yesterday.

Apart from that, Mohd Hashim said the best method should also be looked into to enable higher education institution ( IPT) students who have registered as voters to return to their respective constituencies to vote.

“This we have to discuss with IPTs for students to return to vote as it would be meaningless if they merely register but did not cast their votes,” he said.

On the application, Mohd Hashim said it was an initiative of EC to facilitate the checking of voter status and polling stations for the general election, state elections and by- elections. — Bernama