KUALA LUMPUR: A collection of 23 youth groups said they are concerned over the Election Commission's (EC) recent announcement on the implementation timeline of lowering the voting age to 18 years old and automatic voter registration.
The EC in a statement on Friday had outlined that Undi18 will be tentatively rolled out in September 2022.
"The technical implementation of Undi18 has commenced since the passing of the Undi18 Act in 2019. The early work of reforming the general elections had started in July 2018. The EC, with its wherewithal and resources, should not need to take 3 years to implement Undi 18, which is more than half of our 5-year electoral term. This goes against any grain of rationality and undermines the competence of the EC.
"This is proven right by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Takiyuddin's (Hassan) statement in Nov 2020 that Undi18 will be implemented in July 2021, fully appraised of the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia. This renders the EC's excuse of delay due to the Covid-19 situation disingenuous.
"Further, the EC does not have enough resources to implement Undi18 in time is not a reason to delay implementation. It is instead an opportunity to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the EC with greater political will and resources to ensure the Parliament's will is executed.
"The various Movement Control Orders (MCOs) and the pandemic cannot be used as excuses to halt the effort in processing the automatic registration of voters, considering that almost all restrictions imposed by the MCOs have been lifted. The constitutional right of youths to vote should not be defeated by bureaucratic delays, lest it makes a mockery out of the decision of the Parliament," the youth group said in a joint statement.
The youth groups comprised of Haksiswa; MisiConsti57; Demokrat UM; Mahasiswa Keadilan Malaysia; Suara Mahasiswa UMS; Kelab Sastera Mahasiswa (KARMA) UMS; UMANY; MYSE Melaka; Student Progressive Front UUM; Student Unity Front UKM; #Undi18; and, Borneo Komrad.
The other groups are TAR Association New Youth (TARANY); Mahasiswa Roket; Young Democrats Malaysia (YDM); UM Law Society; YOUTAR; Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM); Youths in Politics (YPOLITICS); ARUS Anak Muda; Liga Rakyat Demokratik; Persatuan Kesedaran dan Keadilan Iklim Malaysia (Klima Action Malaysia- KAMY); Malaysia Secondary Students Alliance (MSSA) and HAKAM Youth.
The Constitution (Amendment) Act 2019 (Undi 18 Act) was passed in the Dewan Rakyat unanimously two years ago on 16 July 2019.
The bill was voted in by 211 elected members of Parliament, with no abstentions or objections at all. On 10 September 2019, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong assented to the Undi18 Bill.
Coincidentally, the statement said the Perikatan Nasional government has also shown questionable reluctance in implementing Undi18.
The group said the overall circumstances culminated to the inevitable conclusion that the delayed Undi18 implementation was due to the lack of political will rather than technical incapability.
"This decision creates severe repercussions to the foundation of our democracy and constitutional liberties.
"Politically, it violates the fundamental separation of power in a Westminster Parliamentary polity. The Parliament legislates and the Executive delivers.
"Parliament has shown its resolve in realising Undi 18 bypassing the votes unanimously. By deliberately delaying the implementation of Undi 18 to miss the immediate election, it directly assaults the sanctity of Parliament and by extension, the representative democracy in Malaysia".
They added that legally, the delay defies the legitimate expectation of approximately 7.8 million 18 to 21-year-old youths who have been promised the right to vote in the next election to be held in 2023.
"Morally, it undermines and disenfranchises the youths in this country who are eligible for civil obligations reserved for adults. 18-year-old youths are subject to taxation. 18-year-old youths are eligible to join the armed forces.
"How can we then deprive them of their rights to be involved in public governance which affects their livelihood, while requiring them to fulfill their adult civic obligations?"
The group said the move to defer Undi18 to after the 15th General Election will be the largest electoral exclusion of a demographic from the pool of eligible voters in the history of Malaysia.
"This will greatly diminish the public's confidence in the Malaysian electoral institution. History has shown that this will radicalise the population towards non-institutional protests and struggles.
"We urge the Perikatan Nasional government to respect its' role as the Executive and execute on Undi 18 without undue delay and as promised.
"We demand the Perikatan Nasional government to enhance resources of the EC in whichever way necessary to ensure, with the greatest certainty possible, that Undi 18 will be implemented before the 15th General Election", they said.