PAS' private member's bill: 18-year-olds to vote and run for office

Abdul Hadi Awang has announced that PAS will bring a private motion to enable amendments to be made to the government's proposed Undi 18 bill.

He said the additions would allow for automatic voter registration and also for those aged under 18, not just to vote, but to qualify as candidates and to contest in elections.

"Most of the world's countries have lowered the voting age to 18 and PAS supports the proposed amendments by Pakatan (Harapan) but with some additional necessary changes," the PAS president told a press conference at his constituency in Marang, today.

"Automatic voter registration will increase the responsibility because the impulse to vote is still weak among young people.

"Also, if they are old enough to vote at 18, then they should be old enough to be a candidate must."

Abdul Hadi said this was in response to a government proposal to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.

The Harapan government tabled the amendment to Article 119 of Federal Constitution Bill to lower the voting age to 18 at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

The amendment is being tabled for first reading by Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

"Every citizen who has attained the age of 18 years on the qualifying date and has been resident in a constituency for at least six months immediately preceding the qualifying date is entitled to vote in that constituency," the proposed Harapan amendment reads.

It is expected that the amendment to the Constitution Bill will be debated at the policy stage on July 16.

It needs two-thirds of the Dewan Rakyat lawmakers to pass the bill.

Commenting on the maturity of 18-year-old voters, Hadi said he was confident young people can make proper judgements and it is the government's responsibility to give them knowledge.

"Young people are now able to read, they are not illiterate anymore," he said. - Mkini