fbpx
Connect with us

News

Dr M Wants to Lower Voting Age to 18 After M’sia Showed “People Power” in GE14

img_20181102_190203_161-2

Published

Dr-Mahathir-Wants-To-Lower-Voting-Age-To-18-After-Msia-Showed-People-Power-In-Ge14-World-Of-Buzz
Source: Perak Today

Follow us on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest stories and updates daily.

Most often, when you tell people you are 21 years old, they might say something along the lines of “Oh, you can vote already!”. And when the time comes for the general elections, many are happy and proud to be voting for the first time. But what about those who can’t vote because they’re too young, or barely reaching the age of 21?

Well, not to worry as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is planning to lower the voting age from 21 to 18Yayy!

During an interview with Malay Mail, prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad suggested this implementation, and said that it would be an acknowledgement of the strong political awareness shown by young voters in the 14th general election, which brought an end to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rule over Malaysia.

Tun Dr Mahathir E1529637404949

Source: perak today

“I think it is worthwhile to consider that. We follow the practice in other parts of the world. It’s a big jump from 21 to 18, but it is a manifestation of our belief that people are better educated and they can make a judgment,” he said.

Dr Mahathir was referring to various countries around the world that have set the legal age to vote at 18. Some of these countries include the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Iran, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.

However, in Malaysia, Article 119(1) of the Federal Constitution states that only citizens who have reached the age of 21 are eligible to vote, although the age of maturity is 18 years old, which allows citizens to drive, get married, sign contracts and be tried in court as an adult.

New Child Marriages 21062018 E1529637391887

Source: malay mail

Ever since 2017, a group of youths who call themselves Undi18, have been working hard in their campaigns to lower the eligible voting age from 21 to 18. They said that the largest age group in Malaysia are young adults.

Dr Mahathir added that this decision is possibly being made due to the overwhelming response from young adults in spreading awareness about the general elections, and stressing on the importance of voting during the GE14 campaign period.

Regardless of initial reports that predict young adults may spoil their votes out of frustration through the #UndiRosak campaign, Dr Mahathir said initiatives like #PulangMengundi, where Malaysians collected money so that they could help fellow Malaysians come home to vote, was a “completely new feel”.

He added that the peaceful transition from old government to new government was a significant display of “people power”, but it was carried out the Malaysian way. Yea, Malaysia boleh!

Mahathir 201508311132001 E1529637378267

Source: bali gazette

“In the case of the Philippines, people power only occurred after the withdrawal of support of Marcos by Defence Minister [Juan Ponce] Enrile and Vice-Chief of Staff Lt Gen Fidel Ramos, who was also the chief of [then] Philippine Constabulary. Only then were they able to express via demonstrations,” he said.

“Here, the people’s power is very quiet. They just decided, ‘I’m going to vote’, and they went all out to vote, especially young people.”

“It’s shown by their vote, and despite attempts to nullify some of the votes by saying they’re #UndiRosak and all that, still the number is so big that even the government, even with all the machinery of the Election Commission (EC), they can’t do anything.”

Dr Mahathir was also full of gratitude to those who joined the #PulangMengundi movement, which involved #UndiRabu and #CarpoolGE14, especially to the youngsters who were involved.

The formation of the initiatives was partly in response to the EC setting the date of the election on a Wednesday, the first since Malaysia was formed. It was criticised as an attempt at voter suppression.

This suggestion was also supported by Lembah Pantai MP, Fahmi Fadzil. He said that allowing 18-year-olds to vote won’t be enough as political literacy and early exposure to democratic practices are more important.

Fahmitwo E1529637366353

Source: twitter

Fahmione

Source: twitter

Segambut MP, Hannah Yeoh also agreed and said that voters should automatically be registered once they turn 18.

Hannah E1529637347355

Source: twitter

Do you think the government should lower the voting age to 18? Or should it remain at 21? Let us know in the comments below.

Also read: Dr M Says He Can’t Always Be Popular as the ‘Mahathir Factor’ Won’t Last Forever

Dr M Says He Cant Always Be Popular As The Mahthir Factor Wont Last Forever World Of Buzz 1 E1529636196853

Follow us on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest stories and updates daily.



Just In

Feat-Image-Ganu-Dun-3 Feat-Image-Ganu-Dun-3
News2 months ago

Did You Know: The Terengganu Exco For Women’s Affairs is a Man & No Female Ever Held The Position

Despite women making up the majority of registered voters in Malaysia with 10,622,151 or 50.3% in the 15th General Election...

Collage-18-52 Collage-18-52
News2 months ago

SG Driver Smashes M’sian Driver’s Rear Window With Golf Club on Expressway, PDRM Investigates

Driving is sometimes about patience, especially when you encounter a situation that grinds your gears but there is never a...

Poop-On-Everest Poop-On-Everest
News2 months ago

Mount Everest Climbers Will Now Need to Buy Poo Bags & Bring Their Faeces Back When Descending

Scaling mountains means that an individual has limited things that they can bring and will be in nature for the...

Fireworks-Cannot-After-Midnight-1 Fireworks-Cannot-After-Midnight-1
News2 months ago

PDRM: Public Advised Not to Play With Fireworks After 12am or Risk Facing Action

As with all festivities, firecrackers are a hot item, and many love to play with them, especially at night. PDRM...

Collage-3-155 Collage-3-155
News2 months ago

KTMB Introduces Open Payment System at 80 Stations via Apple Pay, Debit Cards & More!

Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) Komuter is gearing up to introduce support for the open payment system across 80 stations...

My-Post-1-2024-02-09T151501-148 My-Post-1-2024-02-09T151501-148
News2 months ago

This M’sian-Owned London Megastructure Has Been Named Among World’s Best Cultural Spots!

National Geographic recently released its newly expanded Best of the World 2024 guide that shares superlative experiences, hotels, restaurants, and...

Collage-1594 Collage-1594
News2 months ago

Cheras Man Bags Nearly RM11 Million Jackpot for Magnum 4D With Lucky Numbers 7474 & 3964

You’ll never know what luck awaits you and if it’s yours, it’ll be yours no matter where you go. A...

My-Post-1-2024-02-09T124559-609 My-Post-1-2024-02-09T124559-609
News2 months ago

Pet Dog in Penang Dies After an Alleged Drunk Person Slashed it Because it Apparently Bit Them

Disclaimer: Graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised. Being a dog owner can be a tricky situation. You have to train...

Announcement

Latest Videos



TRENDING TODAY