[VIDEO] Breaking Down the Issues: how new voters can change the political landscape

IN 2019, the Dewan Rakyat voted to pass the Undi18 bill with 211 of 222 MPs voting for it, surpassing the two-third majority required to amend the federal constitution. 

The new legislation not only allowed for the reduction of voting age from 21 to 18, but also included automatic voter registration. 

This means that if you are eligible to vote, you are automatically registered in the electoral roll. Do check out your registration status at MySPRSemak.

With this law, we now have 5.8 million new voters to add to the 15.8 million in 2018, providing a total of 21.1 million eligible voters for the coming general election (GE15).

In practical terms, this is a huge increase. But unlike Singapore, voting is not compulsory in Malaysia. 

More likely, many of the new voters will not be casting their ballots because voting is said to be habit forming. This is seen from the 2018 electoral roll which shows a gap between the registration status of the younger and older population.

Younger voters who are studying or have just started work may not vote because of time constraints, and the cost incurred in order to go to the polling booths. And while employers are legally bound to give time off for voting, there is nothing yet in the law for students.

Breaking Down the Issues speaks to Tharma Pillai, the energetic co-founder of Undi18 to find out the inspiration behind the movement, and what is needed to capture younger voters. 

We speak to Syed Husin Ali to find out why students are less willing to head to the polls. A professor in sociology and anthropology, OT295 or Orang Tahanan 295 under ISA, and a former politician who campaigned for the empowerment of the poorest, Syed Husin is an active political observer and participant since before Independence.

The two big questions that Undi18 brings forward – will younger Malaysians show up at the polls, and will it change Malaysia’s political landscape? – The Vibes, April 24, 2022

This project is brought to you by advocacy and research group Sekhar Institute together with the Good Capitalism Forum, which promotes social capitalism, and Malaysia’s hottest news portal, The Vibes