KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim characterised the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to delay implementing automatic voter registration and lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 (Undi18) as a clear betrayal by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
The PKR president told party members at an event in Gombak yesterday that the Undi18 bill had already been approved and agreed to unanimously by MPs in 2019 during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.
"DAP, Umno, MCA and those who have since jumped from PKR – all of them agreed. Now the present government seems to be very afraid of it.
“We must remember that the role of youths at this juncture is pivotal and they are capable of determining the country’s future.
“As such, I would like to reaffirm our stand to continue pushing the government and EC to accelerate this process,” he said.
PKR, he added, will be undertaking a nationwide road tour to ensure that the voices of the youth and their aspirations are being heard and carried forward.
On Thursday, EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said that “automatic voter registration and Undi18 are expected to be implemented after September 1, 2022”.
This move was lambasted by lawmakers from both sides of the divide, with Science and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin calling the decision extremely regrettable and unacceptable.
Yesterday, a protest rally was organised by an ad hoc committee called the Sekretariat Himpunan Tuntut Undi18, itself a loose coalition of over 20 youth NGOs and opposition youth wings.
Participants marched 3km from Padang Merbok to the gates of Parliament where they observed an 18-minute silent protest, signifying the lowered voting age, followed by speeches. – The Vibes, March 28, 2021
