'Voting is our right': Student groups angry, disappointed with Undi18 delay

 

Student groups have expressed disappointment over the Election Commission’s (EC) announcement that it will postpone the implementation of Undi18, including automatic voter registration, to Sept 1 next year.

The delay in lowering the voting age limit to 18 years old means youths aged 18 to 20 will not be able to vote in the 15th general election (GE15), which is expected to be held once the state of emergency is lifted in August.

Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semenanjung (GPMS) said the rights of 1.2 million youths aged 18 to 20 would be suppressed if Undi18 was not implemented in time for GE15.

“GPMS is also of the view that using the Covid-19 pandemic and the movement control order (MCO) as an excuse for the delay is unreasonable.

“It should be the EC’s priority because it was unanimously approved in Parliament by members of the Dewan Rakyat,” GPMS president Mohd Alif Anas Md Noor said in a statement today.

He also urged the EC to speed up the preparation for an interim report on automatic voter registration and Undi18, which is only expected to be ready in September this year.

“We hope the EC will make it a publicly-accessible document so that it can be used as a reference to judge the commitment of the EC in implementing both these things,” he said.

The University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) also pointed out that youths are entitled to voting rights as well, as the Undi18 Bill was unanimously passed in Parliament in 2019.

“We are angry and disappointed with the EC’s decision.

“This is depriving the youths’ voting rights and it is against their constitutional rights.

“In addition, EC only cited the Covid-19 pandemic as the reason for the delay but did not explain what are the specific reasons and details. This is very irresponsible,” the group said.

PKPIM mulling applying for a judicial review

Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM) said they are mulling the application for a judicial review to urge the government to gazette and implement Undi18.

PKPIM secretary-general Ahmad Firdaus Hadzir said they believe the EC’s decision is contradictory to de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s statement in Parliament last November, where he said Undi18 could be implemented the latest by July 2021.

“(Some) 1.2 million youths aged 18 to 20 must be given the chance to choose their elected representatives who will champion their issues,” Ahmad Firdaus said.

Harmoni Malaysia president Huzayl Mohd said the EC’s decision will only serve to minimise the capacity for youths to participate in the forthcoming electoral process.

“It is even worse if this decision was made in order to protect the political interests of certain parties.

“Harmoni Malaysia urges EC and the government to reconsider this decision,” Huzayl said.

For Student Progressive Front Universiti Utara Malaysia (SPF-UUM) president Tan Kok Seong, this decision by EC has indirectly shown that the government is not confident about getting support from youths.

As such, Tan believes the government is trying to prevent youths from having too much impact on the current political landscape.

Without youth participation in politics, he said, the government may continue to ignore the welfare and rights of youths, including employment opportunities, quality of education and the freedom of speech and association under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971.

“The passion of youths to be concerned and join in politics has faded after Perikatan Nasional took over the government and also after the MCO.

“Youths will further lose interest in politics as the implementation of Undi18 is extended.

“This elderly politics will make the efforts for reform much more difficult and we may even move backwards,” Tan said. - Mkini