KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysians aged between 18 and 21 are a step closer to being eligible to vote in the polls after the Election Commission (EC) announced the automatic preregistration of 5.8 million new voters today.
In a statement, EC secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak said the commission will display the names of these new voters Friday onwards, from October 1 to 31, to allow them to review their personal information.
This is for them to check and confirm their details and to lodge a complaint to the EC should there be any inaccuracy, before being officially registered in the system as voters.
“The EC urges the 5.8 million would-be voters to confirm their details with us,” he said today.
“If you are no longer staying in the address displayed, you are advised to update the address on your NRIC at the National Registration Department latest by October 31.”
Ikmalrudin said prospective voters can check their details either via the EC’s automatic pre-registration voter review system website at https://mysprsppa.spr.gov.my or by visiting any of the 604 locations offering physical checks.
These locations include the respective state election offices, post offices, government complexes, district or land offices, and selected local councils.
Parliament made history in July 2019 when both Houses unanimously passed a bill to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, and to allow for automatic registration.
However, despite this positive development, the government has yet to deliver on this amendment.
On September 3, the Kuching High Court made a ruling to compel the government to implement Undi18 and related amendments by the end of the year.
The government has since given its commitment not to appeal the decision and to implement the necessary changes within the stipulated time frame.
Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar had previously said that by December 31, there will be at least 5.6 million additional voters, 1.2 million of whom are below the age of 21.
The remaining 4.4 million are those aged above 21 but have yet to register themselves, he added. – The Vibes, September 29, 2021
