Poor turnout warrants making voting compulsory: former EC chair

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman has urged the government to make voting compulsory, following the poor turnout during the recent state elections in Johor, Sarawak, and Melaka.

Rashid said that such a requirement would not be new as it is practised in many other countries, including Singapore.

He said the measure needed to be taken in light of the automatic registration of voters following the implementation of Undi18, the constitutional amendment that allowed the minimum voting age to be lowered to 18 from 21 in the past.

“The problem faced during elections such as the one in Johor is that a large portion of the people have refused to register as voters, and if they do not register, how can they go out and vote?” Rashid asked, as reported by The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister publication Getaran.

“This approach (compulsory voting) can be taken if there are no other ways to encourage voters to fulfil their responsibilities to the country.”

Rashid said this during the launching of his book Pilihan Raya Demokrasi Malaysia: Tanding, Pilih, Menang dan Tadbir (Malaysian Democratic Elections: Contest, Vote, Win and Administer), co-written with veteran journalist G. Manimaran and published by Universiti Malaya.

He said many parties have suggested making votes compulsory, after seeing the “concerning” turnout during the past three state elections, as it affects the country’s democratic system.

“It can be done, but it needs some legal steps and open discussions among all stakeholders,” he said.

“If the government wants a high percentage of voters in the upcoming elections, compulsory voting must be implemented as many countries are practicing it,” Rashid said.

Meanwhile, Manimaran, who is also a member of the Electoral Reforms Committee, said he agreed with the proposal, which required a detailed study by all parties involved.

“What happened in the previous state elections is deeply worrying as it may cause the people to lose faith in the electoral system,” Manimaran said.

“There is no use for automatic voter registration if the percentage of those who go out and vote is dwindling year after year.” – The Vibes, March 21, 2022