SHAH ALAM: The Cabinet will move to reduce the legal voting age from 21 to 18 years old, according to Youth and Sport Minister Syed Saddiq.
He said that a bill on the amendment will be tabled in the June parliamentary 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 parliamentary session to amend the laws,“ he said in a press conference after opening a convention on the Rise of the Asean Tiger at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), here today.
He added that the government wanted the youth to be the determining factor in the outcome of general elections.
In Sept 19 last year, Syed Saddiq said that the cabinet had agreed to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, for application in the 15th general election and onward. This would be among several amendments to the Federal Constitution that were expected to ensure that the country’s polling system could be more transparent and fair.
Earlier on his speech officiating the Rise of the Asean Tiger convention, the Youth and Sports minister urged the youth to embrace and face new challenges in order for them to progress.
“We cannot be using a conventional system and hope for something extraordinary to happen.
“If we use the same route as the others and are too afraid to try new ways, how do we innovate and move forward?” he asked during his opening speech at UiTM Shah Alam’s Dewan Agong Tuanku Canselor here.
Also present was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Citing Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an example, Syed Saddiq said the hardworking senior was a firm believer and advocate of empowering the youth.
“Every time I speak with Tun Mahathir, he stresses on the importance of the youth having a good set of values, and remaining resilient to be able to weather any form of trials ahead of them,” he added.
The Rise of the Asean Tiger convention was an idea from Tun Dr Mahathir, in an attempt to educate the youth and the nation’s future leaders with a good set of values, to be proactive, and contribute towards making Malaysia a developed nation.
