KUALA LUMPUR – The outcome of the recent 15th general election (GE15) is proof that the voting age for Malaysians should be raised to 23 instead, said a Kedah Wanita Umno speaker.
Attributing Umno’s dismal performance in GE15 to “anarchist” youth voters who had bought into “slanderous” social media content against the party, Jerai Umno division delegate Datuk Norma Awang asserted that 18-year-olds are too “fresh-faced” to understand political matters.
“Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) are not hip enough to win over the hearts of young voters who subscribe to the latest trends.
“Instead, (first-time voters) chose to uphold guttermouth political leaders who constantly talk badly about others,” she said when debating the Wanita Umno chief Datuk Noraini Ahmad’s policy speech at the party’s general assembly here today.
As such, she recommended that the voting age be raised to 23, as those below the age are not mature enough to understand the implications of their ballots.
“In the context of Malaysia, 18-year-olds have barely just finished SPM.
“Even their underwear is still bought by their parents,” she lamented.
“They lack comprehension of elections, voting, the democratic system, and how their ballots affected the formation of the government and its policies.”
Directing her suggestion to Umno leaders who are part of the unity government, she also said that local 18-year-olds cannot be compared to their peers overseas due to differing education levels.
“In many Western countries, 18-year-olds are already pursuing their masters or PhDs, but our youth are busy getting addicted to ketum leaves, messing around on TikTok, and experiencing puppy love,” she said.
“To restore our nation’s future and ensure its long-term development, the voting age should be raised to 23, at which age voters will at least have finished their undergraduate studies.”
During GE15, Umno suffered its worst electoral performance, with the BN linchpin securing only 26 parliamentary seats while four others went to coalition allies.
The diminutive figure is far behind the number of federal seats won by rival coalitions, such as Pakatan Harapan at 82 and Perikatan Nasional’s 74.
The Undi18 initiative, which was gazetted by the government in 2021, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
GE15 was the first time national polls involving the initiative along with automatic voter registration, both of which added 5.8 million new voters, or a 40% increase, to the electoral roll. – The Vibes, January 12, 2023
