Step aside if you can’t make Undi18 happen, Anwar tells govt, EC

 

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim says those responsible should resign and let others take over, if Undi18 cannot be implemented.

PETALING JAYA: Failure to implement the lowering of the voting age to 18 would show “gross incompetence” on the part of the government and the Election Commission (EC), opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said today.

As the “Undi18” bill, which encompassed both lowering the legal voting age and the establishment of automatic voter registration, was passed unanimously in 2019, he said it was the government’s duty to execute what was already agreed upon.

Speaking at a breaking of fast event in Bangi today, the Pakatan Harapan chairman said it would constitute a “dereliction of duty” if the EC fails to implement the changes.

“If they do not have the authority, then they should resign and allow somebody else to come in,” he said in a veiled reference to EC chief, Abdul Ghani Salleh.

Earlier, following Ghani’s announcement that the Undi18 reforms would be delayed until September 2022, a host of other opposition MPs called for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and law minister Takiyuddin Hassan to step down.

“Based on the Federal Constitution, the Cabinet must take collective responsibility to Parliament. Hence, the decision (to delay the implementation) is a failure on the part of the Cabinet.

“Hence, Muhyiddin and Takiyuddin must step down immediately,” the group of MPs said.

Today, however, Takiyuddin said the Cabinet had agreed to lower the voting age “as soon as possible” following their meeting yesterday but with no definite timeline as to when it would be implemented. - FMT