KUCHING: Undi Sarawak has expressed its grave disappointment over the announcement by the Election Commission (EC) to delay the implementation of Undi 18 and automatic voter registration.
“Our team at Undi Sarawak has consistently advocated for youth participation in politics through political literacy and building leadership skills as part of preparation to be leaders of tomorrow.
“The news yesterday (Thursday), however, represents a huge setback for Malaysia’s progressive democracy,” it said.
The movement said the unanimous passage of the Undi 18 Bill by the Parliament in 2019 and the recent constitutional amendment in November 2020 to lower the age of Sarawakians eligible to be elected as state lawmakers to 18-years-old should make it clear that voting rights of youth should be taken earnestly.
Undi Sarawak said it was extremely regrettable as Malaysian youth made up a significant portion of the population, and they should rightly be given a say in the country’s future.
“We would also like to point out that the State Legislative Assembly has already passed a bill to lower the standing age to 18 during the November 2020 sitting.
“It makes little to no sense for a Sarawakian youth to be able to stand in state elections but be denied the right to vote,” it said.
Undi Sarawak called on both the federal and state governments to build on the genuine efforts to empower the political participation of the youth in politics as well as to respect and restore the democratic voices of the youth.
“Both governments have a democratic duty to empower the youth by implementing Undi 18 without further delay,” it said.
