PAGOH: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin says the Perikatan Nasional-led (PN) government is not afraid of following through on Undi18 by lowering the voting age to 18, but is just being realistic about its implementation.
Muhyiddin said he had met the chairman of the Election Commission (EC), who informed him that Undi18 would not be able to be implemented soon, adding that PN should not be blamed for this.
“Some say PN is afraid. We’re not afraid. In fact, I’m confident that a large portion of youngsters supports the government. But what can we do?” he said at a press conference here today.
He said the issue should not be politicised as its implementation involves a massive project requiring the cooperation of agencies like the National Registration Department, since it involves millions of voters.
Muhyiddin said Undi18 was a matter under the EC and that its implementation was up to the commission’s wisdom, efficiency and management.
“I have discussed this issue with the EC chairman. I asked if it could be expedited to September this year, he said it was not possible.
“So, why are we getting upset over this? It is not a matter of PN being afraid. The faster (it is implemented), the better, but what are we supposed to do?”
While Undi18 has already been gazetted, Muhyiddin pointed out that those aged 18 would not be able to register themselves to vote, as the registration process would be done automatically.
“The EC says they must be registered automatically. This is a technical issue and we should let the EC handle it as best as possible,” he said.
