SEMPORNA: Young voters exercising their right for the first time in the 17th Sabah State Election are not only excited but also aware that it is their right and responsibility to choose credible leaders.
Muhammad Sharijan Majinji, 18, said that beyond the experience of casting a vote, it was also about shaping the future of Sabah in general and Semporna in particular.
The student from Semporna Community College stated that, as a young voter, the characteristics of a candidate who can win their vote must have a convincing narrative that benefits the future of the youthful cohort.
"We vote and look for the candidate who can genuinely improve Semporna, from the scourge of garbage waste, damaged roads and traffic congestion," he told Bernama Thursday (Nov 13).
Mohammad Shafie Ebit, 18, also agreed that youths play an important role in choosing a leader through the ballot box.
He said young voters were now more open-minded and mature in their thinking, able to discern leaders who seemed to meet the needs and ambitions of both the young and those who cannot.
"Because these young voters are more open to voting, their minds are broader, they can choose leaders who are believed to be good for the young generation," said Shafie with palpable excitement to be able to vote this year.
For Azlijah Hadis, 20, she too realises that the responsibility to vote was not merely to follow the popular choice of friends who were eligible to vote.
The Travel and Tourism Certificate student said they were already given exposure to the voting process so that they can vote smoothly.
"I am very excited because I can now vote and fulfill my responsibility, not just because others are doing it," she said, dressed in a nice baju kurung.
On Nov 7, the chairman of the IDE Research Centre, Senator Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman, predicted that young voters would be the determining factor in the victory of contesting parties in the 17th Sabah State Election.
He stated that based on his organisation's research, about 27 per cent of voters in Sabah are fence-sitters and their critical choice depends more on credible promises from a candidate they can believe in, rather than loyalty to any political party (like their parents).
The Election Commission has set Nov 29 as polling day for the 17th Sabah PRN, with nomination day on Nov 15 and early voting on Nov 25. – Bernama
