EC: Registration for 18-year-old voters yet to be implemented

The registration for 18-year old voters has yet to be implemented, says the Election Commission (EC).

EC chairperson Azhar Harun said this after a viral post on social media calling for Malaysians who are 18 and above to register as voters.

In a statement, Azhar said the registration will be implemented after preparations to amend several regulations pertaining to elections are completed by July 2021.

"The registration for 18-year-old voters will be done simultaneously with the automatic voter registration system after all preparations are completed.

"The EC is preparing to amend the Elections (Registration of Electors) Regulations 2002 and other related laws, as well as preparing for the standard operating procedures and the arrangement for systems and infrastructure.

"All of these are estimated to be completed by July 2021," he said.

Azhar urged the public to refer directly to the EC to avoid the spread of fake news.

The amendments to Articles 47 and 119 of the Federal Constitution this year, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and allowed for the implementation of automatic voter registration, was gazetted in September last year.

Azhar had said that it would take 18 months to prepare a new system for automatic voter registration; to compile data from multiple federal agencies, synchronise data into the existing electoral roll, and to clean up the electoral roll. - Mkini