Umno eyes younger members to prep up for new voting age?

Mixed feelings to Umno's move to allow 16-year-olds to become members.

School students may now be Umno members after the party lowers minimum age.

PETALING JAYA: Observers are in agreement that Umno’s decision to allow 16-year-olds to become party members is an attempt at promoting the party to the younger generation, more so in the wake of plans by the government to lower the voting age to 18 from the present 21.

A political analyst questioned the move, saying it was ironic coming from a party that had long defended laws to stop university students from being involved with political parties.

Universiti Utara Malaysia’s Kamarul Zaman Yusoff said the move could be due to pressure on the Malay party to rebuild itself in the wake of its historic defeat last May.

“I guess they have no choice but to broaden their membership base. They are now in the opposition so they need as much support as they can get,” Kamarul told FMT.

But Kamarul said it was nothing unusual, and the minimum age set by other political parties is not far off.

He said Umno’s new minimum age was just a year younger than DAP’s (17), while PAS allows Malaysians who have reached puberty to join as members, which could mean 13 for females and 15 for males.

Kamarul said the Registrar of Societies (RoS) should standardise the legal age for people to join political parties.

“Perhaps 18 is fine, as it is in line with the proposal to lower the voting age to 18,” he said, referring to a plan by the government to lower the current voting age from 21 to 18.

However, Kamarul said it would be difficult for Umno to make itself relevant again to the younger generation.

He said to appeal to the younger crowd, the party must look beyond race issues, and focus more on good governance and national issues.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently announced that it was lowering the membership age from 18 to16 as part of several structural changes in the party.

He said youths are defined universally as those aged 15.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said Umno was giving a two-year buffer to prepare would-be-voters, who will be voting when they turn 18.

But Awang Azman said the party should study how many of its young members were actually active in the party, and why many youths rejected it in the last elections.

“They have to see what they can learn to avoid making the same mistakes. This is more important than merely capturing younger members.”

Some are against the move, such as a teachers’ union in Sarawak, who say 16 is still schooling age.

“If students are taking part in politics, it will be hard for them to focus on their studies. It also opens the door for politics to enter schools,” said Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president, Jisin Nyuk.

On the other hand, Jisin said university students were considered adults and mature.

“Also, secondary school is mandatory, unlike university,” he added.

Jisin said there should be laws to bar school students from entering politics.

For some, its disagreement has to do with the nature of Malaysia’s politics.

Vocal educational group Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) said Malaysia’s race-based politics was not suited for schools, adding that schools should be where the younger generation learn integration.

“Children shouldn’t be involved in politics, that’s our stand,” said PAGE secretary, Tunku Munawirah Putra. - FMT