Lower voting age talk gets mixed input
SIBU: The proposal to lower the voting age in Malaysia could be one that warrants consideration, in that the youths are getting more conscious about politics and good governance as well as being more academically-qualified nowadays than ever before.
However for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, this subject is ‘debatable’.
On Thursday, federal Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was reported to have suggested that the eligible voting age should be lowered to 18, from the current 21. He was also quoted to have said that this could be done ahead of the 15th general election; however, he stressed that his ministry would first have to have a ‘political exposure programme’ for young people.
In this respect, Abdul Karim commented: “Since the youths are getting more conscious about politics and good governance as can be seen during the last GE14 (14th general election) as well as in our engagements with the youths, and since most youths are also more academically-qualified, it might be good to consider lowering the voting age.”
On the other hand, local councillor Robert Lau believed that the age requirement should be maintained at 21, in that the majority of those in the 18-21 age group are still studying.
“Our society is different from those in the Western countries, which have lowered the voting age. The right to vote is usually linked to those who have been contributing to society by being workers and taxpayers. The rationale (behind this) is that they would want accountability and a say in who get to hold public offices.
“Almost all of those aged 18 to 21 years old are still at school or just starting their tertiary studies. This group has not come out to society, so to speak. Also, our education system is not liberal enough,” he said.
Nevertheless, Lau also suggested ‘freeing up the education system’ to allow for more freedom of speech, expression and choice as this would benefit the young group more.
Additionally, he viewed lowering the minimum voting age as ‘not being of urgency’ – if compared with the rights of Sarawak and Sabah to have fair representation in Parliament.
“This (representation) has to be restored to one-third, as agreed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he pointed out.
Moreover, Lau also stressed that the huge difference in the number of voters between constituencies must be addressed.
“This means each constituency should have about the same number of voters.”
Meanwhile, the secretary of Sarawak United National Youth Organisation (Saberkas) Nangka branch Mohd Safree Mohd Kassim believed that while the voting age should remain at 21, it is possible for Malaysia to come up with a new voting procedure using digital technology.
“Perhaps, the government could emulate Singapore, where it is mandatory for all citizens to vote,” he said, believing that upon reaching 21 years old, Singaporeans are automatically eligible to vote without having to register with its election authority.
Mohd Safree also stressed that as not all ideas and suggestions come from ministers, there is a need to listen to the views of the people on such matters.
On the other hand, a member of the public believed that it is high time for Malaysia to follow the footsteps of other countries by allowing citizens attaining the age of 18 to vote.
Sempurai Petrus Ngelai, in his opinion, said: “My personal view is that by lowering the voting age, we can bring Malaysian youths into the mainstream of our political process and development.
“This is a very important step for us to engage our youths in the democratic process and governing institutions.” Still, Sempurai stressed that before this could be done, it would be necessary to educate the youths about their roles as voters in a democratic system.
“We cannot just amend our election law and constitution in a hurry, as we also need to take into consideration our education syllabus concerning the roles of voters and the democratic process that is in place.
“In many Western countries, there have been many debates over this issue. The US, for instance, had agreed to amend the 26th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, to allow individuals attaining the age of 18 to vote.”
Since the youths are getting more conscious about politics and good governance as can be seen during the last GE14 (14th general election) as well as in our engagements with the youths, and since most youths are also more academically-qualified, it might be good to consider lowering the voting age. — Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports Minister