Have Undi18 implemented ahead of next state polls, calls PKR Women member
A Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Women member is calling upon the government to expedite the implementation of ‘Undi18’, which would allow youths to vote in the next Sarawak state election.
Sarawak PKR Women secretary Cherishe Ng said the federal government should ensure that registration of voters aged 18 and above would be carried out concurrently with that of automatic voter’s registration.
“The state government should be pushing for this implementation, rather than sitting on it,” she said after handing over food assistance to a representative of a needy family here yesterday.
Ng also said it was ‘ridiculous’ that a youth aged between 18 and 21 could become a State Legislative Assembly (DUN) candidate and stand in the election, but was not eligible to vote.
“The right to stand for election is the state’s prerogative, whereas right to vote is a federal prerogative. Thus, without consistency and cooperation between the state and federal governments, Sarawak would be heading into the elections facing the biggest anomaly yet.”
In this respect, Ng expressed her support for the five Sarawakian youths, who filed a judicial review at the High Court in Kuching over the delay in lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.
The youths list the Prime Minister, the Malaysian government and the Election Commission (EC) as defendants.
In their filing, the youths sought to compel the implementation of Undi18 before the next Sarawak election, which could be called by this August following the expiry of DUN Sarawak term in June.
Ng said the legal amendment to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 was passed by 211 lawmakers of multi-partisan support during the Parliament sitting on July 16, 2019.
“An 18-year-old is generally considered as having reached adulthood, mature enough to hold a driving licence, and in certain countries, 18 the legal age for recruitment into a nation’s defence forces.”
Ng, who is also Bandar Kuching PKR Women chief, believed the lowering of voter’s age would encourage the younger generation to be more enthusiastic in politics – helpful in nurturing new blood in the political arena.
She said the EC’s announcement on the postponement of Undi18 to Sept 1 next year was unfair to the young voters in Sarawak.
The amendment to the Sarawak Constitution in lowering the voter’s age to 18 and allowing a Sarawakian of age 18 to be entitled to become candidate for DUN Sarawak, was passed last year.