SHAH ALAM: Cabinet has decided to reduce the legal voting age for Malaysians from 21 to 18, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman revealed today.
He said that a bill on an amendment to the Federal Constitution will be tabled in Parliament’s June session; and that his ministry will spearhead the motion.
“Cabinet decided this in its weekly meeting and this time, we managed to set a timeline, which (will be the) June/July Parliament session to amend the laws," Syed Saddiq added.
He was speaking to reporters at a press conference after opening a convention on the Rise of the Asean Tiger at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) here, today.
Syed Saddiq added: “We want the youth to be the determining factor in the outcome of a general election."
In September last year, Cabinet agreed to lower the voting age threshold from 21 to 18, for application in the 15th general election onwards.
Syed Saddiq had then said that several amendments to the Federal Constitution are therefore expected to ensure that the country's polling system could be more transparent and fair.
He said that a motion on the matter would be tabled in Parliament for approval before it could be implemented; adding that a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat is needed to effect the change.