Malaysia to add 50 per cent more voters as Mahathir lowers age limit

Malaysia could have 50 per cent more voters in the next election as its set to let those as young as 18 cast their ballots.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad won support from opposition lawmakers, getting the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution and lower the voting age to 18, from 21. The bill also allows for automatic voter registration, meaning the next 2023 election could see 22.7 million voters, compared with 14.9 million in last years historic polls.

The government has reviewed the voting age and found that political awareness has risen among the youth in general, said Mahathir, who turned 94 last week. We also appreciate the bipartisan action taken for the sake of the country.

The bill’s approval is a win for Mahathir’s coalition, whose previous attempt to amend the constitution was thwarted by the opposition. This time, the government secured the backing of all 211 lawmakers present at the time, out of the total 222, to fulfil its campaign pledge. The ruling coalition revised the bill to include the opposition’s request for automatic registration and to let 18-year-old’s contest for parliamentary seats.

The bill is pending the approval of the senate and the king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, before coming into force.

True Kingmakers

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 26 and Malaysia’s youngest ever cabinet member, led the motion to lower the voting age. He said last year that younger voters were the true kingmakers in the 2018 election that saw the country’s first change of government. About 75 per cent of youths backed Mahathir’s coalition, pollster Merdeka Centre estimated in 2018.

Malaysia’s high youth unemployment rate, at 10.8 per cent compared with the national rate of 3.3 per cent, is set to remain a key political issue.

During the debate, opposition lawmakers still sought more clarity on the bills impact. That included whether any action would be taken to improve voter education and turnout, and if registered voters would be penalized for not casting their ballot.