DAP man laments 135,000 Sarawak youths to miss chance to vote
KUCHING: It is most regrettable that 135,000 Sarawak youths aged 18 to 20 years old will miss their chance to vote in the Sarawak state election, said former Stampin MP Julian Tan.
He pointed out the 12th State Election is expected to be held between this month and December, just mere few weeks before Undi18 – the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18 – takes effect from next January.
“The Sarawak election can be held starting from Jan 1, 2022 and it will still be within the 60-day limit after the Emergency was lifted on Nov 3,” Tan said in a statement.
The special assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen revealed that he and several leaders from the party had a fruitful dialogue with Undi18 Sarawak coordinator Soon Wei Xen and Undi Sarawak representatives Ivan Alexander Ong and Mohamad Fartul Iqwan.
He said these young representatives have been taking the initiative to reach out to various political parties across the political divide in Sarawak to better understand the current political situation in Malaysia.
“The commendable gesture is nothing short of a good display of leadership and youth ownership in shaping their future via inclusiveness and active involvement.
“The topics of our discussion included youth involvement in politics, youth empowerment in politics, the current political situation in Malaysia and Sarawak and moving forward strategies on continuous engagement between all the political parties regardless of their political divide,” Tan said.
Another topic which they discussed in depth, he added, was the importance of raising political awareness, especially among the youth, via continuous education.
“It is instrumental in ensuring all citizens are well educated on their democratic rights and how a healthy democracy should work in Malaysia. We agreed that youth empowerment transcends political lines.
“Malaysia is in urgent need of a healthy democracy. A strong foundation is a cornerstone for building a better Malaysia,” the former MP said.