18 or 21 – let’s ‘vote’ on the voting age

IN the eyes of the law, 18-year-old Malaysians are no longer children. This status allows them to do plenty of things without the consent (or knowledge) of their parents or guardians.

If they put their minds to it, they can get a licence to drive cars, ride motorcycles and fly aeroplanes and helicopters. On their own, they can apply for a passport and travel the world.

At that age, they have what lawyers call the capacity to contract, which means it is legal for them to sign agreements and be bound by the terms and conditions. That makes it possible for 18-year-olds to own businesses, properties and securities.

But here is one thing they cannot do, even if their parents are all for it – vote.

The Federal Constitution is clear about this; in elections to determine representatives in the Dewan Rakyat and the state assembly, only citizens who are 21 or older have a say.

Whether they set a minimum or a maximum, age limits are always tricky. We do not fancy being told what we can or cannot do based on how old we are. Are we not individuals, each with his own abilities that have little to do with how many birthdays he has celebrated?

At the same time, it is easy to see that these restrictions are a practical solution when a certain situation or role is deemed unsuitable for those who are too young or too old.

Therefore, much of the focus is on the threshold itself. What is the right cut-off? Why is 21 the magic number for voting when 18 is the age of majority in Malaysia?

Is it not a good idea to widen the rakyat’s participation in the electoral process? What is so bad about letting those aged 18, 19 or 20 to vote?

What happens in the three years between 18 and 21 that is likely to transform a person into somebody worthy of the right to vote?

These are questions that are being asked a lot these days, and in these post-GE14 days, when the country has acquired a larger appetite for change, there has been no better time to properly debate this matter.

It is a Pakatan Harapan election pledge to lower the voting age to 18, and many people believe that the coalition can muster the two-thirds of votes in Parliament needed to accordingly amend the Federal Constitution.

But such a major move ought to be about more than lining up enough MPs to say aye.

The fact that the voting age in Malaysia has been unchanged since 1957 suggests that it is not universally accepted that our pool of voters should be expanded. We need to hear the dissenting voices and their reasons for objecting.

For that matter, all Malaysians should have the chance to weigh in on this matter. There ought to be robust engagement and solid advocacy.

A proposal to extend to more people the right to vote is an excellent opportunity to showcase democracy in action.