Undi18 Delay is Daylight Robbery, says Saddiq

The Election Commission announced yesterday that the lowering of the voting age to 18 and automatic voter registration will not be implemented in July this year due to Covid-19, but instead might only take place after Sept 1, 2022. President and co-founder of MUDA, YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman gave us 5 reasons why the Undi18 delay is unacceptable.

1. We Were Promised

Saddiq claimed that this move aims to strip around 1.2 million youths between 18 and 20 of their constitutional right to vote. The amendment was passed in 2019 with nearly 100% support, the first such measure to gain widespread bipartisan backing. The Election Committee had pledged that it would be implemented on schedule, and Minister Takiyuddin Hassan also confirmed in December 2020 that despite the challenges of Covid-19, the changes would still be completed according to the agreed timeline.

2. Sudden Excuses

The Election Committee claims that more time is needed to implement the measures due to issues arising from Covid-19. However, Saddiq asserted that this is just a political ploy, since the announcement came only a few weeks after Bersatu Supreme Council member Tan Sri Rais Yatim and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said that young Malaysians were too immature, and needed to be better educated before being given the right to vote.

3. Not New, Not Impossible

Most, if not all government services can now be accessed online, including registration for the Covid-19 vaccination. Why then is online voting still not available? Saddiq pointed out that youth voter registration has been a hot topic for the past two years, and it should not be encountering such a roadblock at this point in the process.

4. Deal with the Issues, Don’t Deny Them

Besides taking legal action against this new development, continuous engagement and negotiations have been underway. Saddiq reminded the government that, rather than fearing an unfavourable youth response, they should instead remember their constitutional duties, listen to young voters, and help them on issues such as cost of living and university conditions. Denying youths the right to vote and shutting them out of the conversation is not the answer.

5. Walk the Talk

While many UMNO and PAS members are speaking up in support of Undi18, it is not enough. If amendment is not taken up, those in power are accountable for that failure. Saddiq went on to say that the Prime Minister should not keep silent, but as someone who is in charge of the civil service, he must speak up in defence of young people’s rights to vote.

Do you think that 18 year-olds should be given the right to vote? Is this a political move or only to be expected due to Covid-19? Let us know your thoughts.

Written by Toby Teh and Edited by Lyn Mak