Hoping to be counted

Diverse participation: Youth inclusion as parliamentary and state assembly representatives could rejuvenate the country’s political scene.

FACED with a volatile political climate, frustrated young people want to have more say and play a more active role in determining the country’s future. Especially since policies introduced now, in the midst of the pandemic, will have significant repercussions in the coming decade.

This is why many youths are urging the new government to speed up the implementation of Undi18, a Constitutional amendment which allows for automatic voter registration (AVR), lowers the voting age from 21 to 18, and makes 18 the minimum age to contest in federal and state elections. Although the initial plan was for Undi18 to be implemented in July this year, it has since been postponed to September 2022.

On July 16, 2019, Parliament unanimously passed the Undi18 Bill. In March this year, however, the Election Commission (EC) announced that the lowering of the minimum voting age and the AVR can only be done after Sept 1, 2022. The reason given was that the implementation was hindered by the movement control order, which was introduced to curb Covid-19 infections.

EC chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said that the commission is looking into systems development; checking and coordinating data; conducting follow-up discussions with government agencies, political parties and NGOs; and carrying out other preparatory steps.

No more waiting game

As current and potential job seekers facing the highest unemployment rate in 30 years, youths today have a lot to lose if they cannot secure policies that take their concerns into consideration. Significantly, Undi18 is not just about getting young people to vote, but also to participate in the political arena as candidates. Youth inclusion as parliamentary and state assembly representatives would rejuvenate a political scene often criticised for being not only too “old” but also male-dominated.

More young women have been moving towards political activism and involvement, and Undi18 would help open the necessary doors for them.

University students are calling on the new government to make good on the promise to lower the voting age to 18, saying that further delays in implementing Undi18 will only hamper the democratic process and suppress views from a vital part of society, one that is passionate about the future of the country.

Isaac Sharvin David, 20, expresses his disappointment over the long wait for Undi18, saying that he is extremely disheartened that the voices of youths cannot be heard.

Like many young people, David does not accept the reasoning behind the delay. Critics similarly argue that the main hold up for Undi18 is a lack of political will.

“As a Malaysian youth leader aspiring to be one of the many future nation-builders of this country, I feel that the decision [to delay Undi18] is irrational, and it denies the Constitutional right of youths aged 18-20 to vote,” he says.

The ability for youths to vote is extremely crucial, he says, as they will have a hand in deciding the political landscape of the country for the next five to 10 years.

“If we can work, buy property, or enlist in the military when we are 18, we definitely have the intellectual capability and maturity to vote and decide who will be the member of Parliament in our constituencies,” he says.

Instead of looking down on youths as incapable, David suggests that sceptics provide pathways for the young to voice their opinions.

“Today, considering the reach and accessibility of social platforms among the public, I would say many young adults like myself have witnessed what has occurred in the past few Parliament sittings, and we are not very proud of or satisfied with it,” he adds.

David hopes more young people will come forward and participate in elections to voice out and advocate for the improvement of the welfare and well-being of Malay-sians.

An 18-year-old who goes by the name Maine says she hopes to exercise her rights as a voting citizen and the right to protest when necessary.

“I believe the current generation of teenagers are much more educated than many think they are. To me, the delay is deliberate, as they know that we as the youth can definitely make a more informed decision about who to elect into government,” she says.

“I feel they are afraid of a huge number of young people who will definitely vote out corrupt leaders and old dinosaurs,” she adds.

Commenting on the current political shift and change in leaders, Maine says she hopes for more freedom of expression so young people can actively and constructively criticise and call out political leaders without facing intimidation.

Ahmad Luqman, 19, similarly criticises the delay and an “inconsistency by the government on this issue”.

“Undi18 is extremely important for democracy, the choices of the population and the voices of the people. We have millions of people in Malaysia, but one thing the government needs to realise – or is scared to realise, or just does not want to realise – is that a big chunk of the population is made youths,” he says.

Ahmad Luqman adds that youths have a strong presence on social media, and are integral in shaping narratives online.

“Undi18 gives way to young rising voices to give their opinions in social media, and this time the politicians will actually care about the opinions because they will have to care about youth votes,” he says.

“I hope that I, and other youths out there, can finally have a voice, and that our voice will mean something. Before this, no matter what youths say, we didn’t bring in votes and we couldn’t go to the polls, so politicians didn’t care much. But if Undi18 gets through, we can finally stand and voice out. And the government and politicians will have to listen.”