KUCHING: Are 18-year-olds mature enough to be granted the right to vote and thus determine the future of the country?
This was a question of Demak Laut assemblyman Dr Hazland Abang Hipni relating to yesterday’s tabling of a Bill to amend the Federal Constitution with regards to lowering the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.
“It is undeniable — the Malaysian community of today is well informed and those who are 18 are perceived capable of making wise decisions regarding the future of the country,” stated Dr Hazland.
However, he questioned the source of the information obtained by the younger generation, as well as whether they are well aware of current political and social developments.
“Are their judgments merely based on the narratives of social media that are flavoured with sentiment, instead of facts?” the assemblyman wondered.
He emphasised that wisdom and careful judgment should be the bases in deciding our future political leaders, as opposed to forming decisions based on emotion.
“These questions have to be addressed, as lowering the minimum voting age in Malaysia from 21 to 18 has its pros and cons,” said Dr Hazland.
The assemblyman shared his opinion that the motion can be approved to have a similar voting age to many countries, for example Thailand, but he felt that now was not the time to do so.
“Our youths between 18 and 21 years of age are still not ready in terms of their knowledge on politics,” he reasoned.
Dr Hazland also considered the risk of the younger generation forming their conclusions based on the empty promises of political parties.
He suggested that there should first be programmes or activities to educate the youths about politics prior to the involvement of 18-year-olds in the process of voting.
“If this is not managed well, it could result in the young community being taken advantage of by political parties,” he cautioned, adding that if political education is weak, there is a higher risk of the nation’s political field being affected by foreign influences.
“Hence, the execution of this proposed amendment requires time and proper preparation to ensure that our political landscape will not be disrupted, and we can therefore determine the government that will safeguard our nation and people,” advised Dr Hazland.
