PETALING JAYA: Youths will play a major role in determining the outcome of state elections as they were the second largest voting bloc during the 15th general election (GE15).
Undi18 co-founder Tharma Pillai said in GE15, voters from the over-50 age group made up the first block while Undi18 voters made up the second.
Six states are set to hold elections soon – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan and Terengganu.
To date, the Selangor, Kelantan, Penang, Terengganu and Kedah state assemblies have been dissolved, paving the way for state elections.
Tharma said 5.8 million new voters had registered since the Undi18 law was passed in 2021.
“This group of young voters have the same ideas, education and economic standing. They know what is important to them, and issues close to their hearts will determine how they cast their votes.
“They have their preferences. Politicians on both sides of the divide will have to listen to them and their issues if they want to win them over.”
According to Tharma, the upcoming state elections will be different. Unlike previous elections in Malacca, Johor, Sarawak and Sabah, where the focus centred on local matters, this time both national and local issues will hold equal significance.
He added that young voters will take into account the performance of both the federal government and the Opposition in fulfilling their respective roles since GE15.
“Undi18 voters will also place importance on state governments’ performances. They will assess whether they have successfully attracted investments and scrutinise their governance.”
“They will also consider the benefits provided by the state governments for the people, specifically for Undi18 voters.”
Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said there are 1.3 million new voters for Selangor and most of them are from the younger generation.
He noted that Negri Sembilan will have over 400,000 new voters, who will play a critical role as seen during GE15.
These new voters will display a willingness to make bold decisions that may be considered unlikely from seasoned voters.
“The younger generation lacks historical context of previous elections, and they are not aligned to any political party, so they will play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of state elections.
“The turnout during GE15 was disappointing, especially among the 18, 19, 20 and 21-year-old voters. Political parties were not able to capture the imagination of the new voters in GE15. However, the upcoming state elections will be different.”
He added that it will all depend on the voter turnout. To attract younger voters, political parties have been engaging speakers who belong to this age group or generation.
“All political parties realise how important this segment of younger generation voters is to their future in the state polls.”
