Lower voting age: Ismail Sabri is okay but imposes conditions
KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition MPs are ready to support the government’s move to lower voting age from 21 to 18 but subject to two conditions.
The first condition, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, was for the government to amend Article 119 (1) of the Federal Constitution to allow automatic registration of voters once they hit 18-years of age.
The second, he said, is to amend Article 47 of the Federal Constitution to lower the eligibility age of one to become an MP from the current 21 to 18 years of age.
“If an 18-year-old citizen can be automatically registered as a voter and contest the elections, then we will support the amendments. Otherwise, we are not agreeable,” he told a press conference at the Parliament lobby.
Ismail said that if the two proposals are not included in the proposed amendment brought by the government, the opposition MPs will table a private member bill to amend the Federal Constitution.
The government-proposed amendment to Article 119(1) is expected to be tabled by Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman tomorrow.
The amendment needs a two-thirds majority to be passed, meaning at least 148 of the 222 MPs must vote for it.
Bernama
