KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian youth should not let their elders decide who they should vote for, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Parliament) Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
She said every lawmaker in Parliament should help the Election Commission educate young voters, especially those aged 18 to 20, to understand their democratic rights.
Youth are claiming ignorance when asked who they would vote for and still rely on the influence of their family members, she told the Dewan Rakyat today, citing the Johor election as an example.
“When we asked them who will you vote for, they said ‘I don’t know, I have to ask my mum’.
“This is not a question that you should ask your mum, you should already know (who to vote for).
“You are already 18, you could join the army or the police, you could get married, you could own a driving licence but why when it comes to voting, you have to ask your mum?
“This is our right, so the youth should use this opportunity and responsibility wisely,” said Mas Ermieyati (Masjid Tanah-PN).
She was responding to a question posed by Datuk Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam-PN) in Parliament today on the government’s efforts to increase the awareness and understanding among youth about their democratic rights.
This is especially so following the implementation of Undi18 legislation which lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.
As of May 2022, there are 21,113,234 registered voters, of which 1,141,749 or 5.4% are voters between the age of 18 to 20 years old. – The Vibes, August 2, 2022
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