MIRI – Three individuals have applied for a judicial review at the Kuching High Court in a bid for Undi18 and automatic voter registration to be implemented on Sarawak’s polling day.
Avril Clarice Chin Ning,18, Ivan Alexander Ong and Addam Johanson Jeremy Shayne, filed their application in the Kuching court complex yesterday via their lawyers Clement Wong, Simon Siah and George Lo.
They are applying for a judicial review against the decision by the Election Commission (EC) and Registrar of Electors for Sarawak to not include Undi18 voters in the electoral roll, barring them from voting in the state election on December 18.
They are seeking a declaration from the high court to allow Undi18 and automatic registered voters to cast their ballot after December 15 following the recent Government Gazette.
They want the electoral roll for this state election to be updated to include the new voters.
Wong told reporters in Kuching that the application will be heard on December 13.
He added that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had instructed that Undi18 and automatic voter registration take effect December 15 onwards.
“The new voters should be allowed to vote in the Sarawak polls as they are entitled to it.
“Incumbent state government GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) could have waited for the state emergency to end on February 2 to allow new voters to exercise their right.
“However, GPS pushed for an election this year and denied new voters their rights,” he said.
Early September, the Kuching High Court ruled that the government must implement Undi18 and the related amendments by December 31, following a judicial review.
The decision comes after Sarawakian youth initiated a judicial review action against the prime minister, federal government and EC.
This decision allowed at least eight million new voters aged between 18 and 20 to take part in any election. – The Vibes, December 9, 2021
