KUCHING: The motion to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat during the July sitting, said Election Commission (EC) chairman Azhar Azizan Harun.
He said the motion, which would involve amending the Federal Constitution, would be tabled on July 4.
“If the motion is passed, many more youths and students of institutions of higher learning, including government polytechnics, will be eligible to vote in the next general election,” he told a media conference after launching the Voter Education Programme with Kuching Polytechnic.
Azhar said, until the first quarter of this year, there were still 3.8 million youths yet to register as voters even though they have reached the eligible age.
“The EC intends to approach more youths,” he said, adding that 31,355 students between the ages of 18 and 26 had joined the EC education programme through the Election Academy.
On the Sarawak state election, to be held the latest by 2021, Azhar said the EC was prepared to conduct the election whenever the state decides to hold it.
On a statement that was viralled on social media calling on the people in Sarawak to register with the EC as soon as possible as the closing date for them to do so is June 30, 2019, Azhar said the statement was not true.
“However, I advise the people to register as soon as possible to avoid any inconvenience and disappointment,” he said, adding that only those whose names were gazetted in the electoral rolls are eligible to vote. –- Bernama