PETALING JAYA,Mar 26: Khairy Jamaluddin has criticised the Election Commission for delaying the implementation of Undi18 on grounds that the movement restrictions had hampered its planning and preparations.
“It’s nonsensical. The movement control order was implemented a year ago,” the science, technology and innovation minister said in a statement.
He also said the law minister had said in November the July 2021 deadline to implement the automatic registration of 18-year-olds as voters would remain.
“But barely five months after the minister said this at the Dewan Rakyat, the EC says it would only be implemented over a year from now, that is after September 2022.”
Khairy said the EC needed to clarify its need for more discussions with other political parties and non-governmental organisations as Undi18 had already been approved by Parliament.
“These stakeholder meetings should have been able to take place without the slightest need to affect the previous deadline,” he said.
He said Undi18 was not just the priority of the previous government as it had been approved by all political parties, including representatives in the Dewan Rakyat and the Senate.
Earlier today, PPBM Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayshal Wan Ahmad Kamal said he was disappointed with the delay but understood the EC’s decision.
H said it was understandable that the EC would need to look at the best method to register the 18-year-olds as voters to prevent any confusion on polling day.
Wan Fayshal also said the wing was prepared to assist the relevant government agencies to expedite the automatic registration process.
