Johor sultan blocks state law lowering election candidate age to 18

 

Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has blocked a state enactment that would lower the age to contest in state elections to 18.

The monarch, while officiating the state legislature meeting today, said it was not suitable to have assemblypersons below the age of 21.

"In my view, the suggestions to lower the minimum age (for candidacy) is not in line with the (state) government's direction of wanting high-quality leaders who are fully knowledgeable.

"I still support giving the right to vote to those aged 18 and above. But to be assemblypersons, I feel they are not suitable," he said.

Johor had passed a bill to lower the age of candidacy to contest in state elections from 21 to 18 in January, under the previous state government.

However, Sultan Ibrahim said he had not yet assented to the law, and that the age of candidacy remained at 21.

Unlike at the federal level, the Johor state constitution has no provision to allow the state government to pass laws if it does not receive royal assent.

Sultan Ibrahim's decision will not affect the age of candidacy for Parliament seats, including in Johor, as the federal limit had been lowered to 18.

Meanwhile, the monarch in his speech today also advised the Johor government to organise more youth programmes so that they are not influenced by liberal ideologies, skewed faith, and negative cultures. - Mkini