KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has called on Malaysians to register as voters, saying that the country's direction lies in their hands.
Najib, in his blog najibrazak.com, said there are more than 3.7 million Malaysian citizens who are eligible to vote but have yet to register.
“Voting is the responsibility of every Malaysians who has the rights to determine their future. It is also a process of democracy where power is given to the people to choose a leader who will be representing them and a government which will drive Malaysia to become a developed nation,” he said.
He said based on the figures from the Election Commission (as of March 31), there are more than 3.7 million people aged 21 years and above who have yet to register as voters compared to 18 million total eligible citizens.
“The statistic is an indicator that public awareness of their rights and responsibilities are still low.
"Therefore, I urge all agencies involved to intensify efforts to educate and help register these eligible voters.
"The percentage of voter’s turnout should also be improves as compared to the 13th General Election with 84.84 per cent or 11.2 million people.
“There may be some who considered the process of registration to be tedious. However, the perception is wrong. The process will only take five minutes with your MyKad at a post office or the EC headquarters or the nearest state EC offices,” he said.
Najib said Malaysians should not take things for granted in letting others make the decision for them.
"The decision you make will greatly impact you and your family’s future. Your voice counts in determining your future, your children’s future and the nation's.” he said.