Putrajaya will consider lowering the minimum age requirement for senators to allow youth representation in the Dewan Negara, de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said.
He said Article 47 of the Federal Constitution set the minimum age for senators at 30.
"In this respect, the government will scrutinise the proposal to lower the age (requirement) of senators in the Dewan Negara," he told Amanah's Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa in a parliamentary reply.
According to Takiyuddin, this is in line with the amendment to the Youth Societies and Youth Development Act (Amendment) 2019, in which youths were redefined as persons aged 30 and below, from 40 and below previously.
The amendment will come into force by December 2021, he added.
Earlier, Mujahid asked if there was any effort taken by the government to amend the Constitution to lower the minimum age requirement for senators to allow youth representation in the Dewan Negara.
It was reported that Federal Territories PKR Youth mooted the idea when the then Pakatan Harapan federal administration pushed in Parliament the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18.
DAP Senator Adrian Banie Lasimbang reportedly supported the proposal to lower the senate’s minimum age requirement if it is done in phases.
He suggested that the minimum age requirement be lowered to 25 and the candidate must hold a university degree and have work experience.
However, former senator Loga Bala Mohan Jaganathan disagreed with the idea because the age requirement was put in place as the job requires “wisdom and credibility”. - Mkini
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