THE opposition has laid down conditions for Putrajaya if it is to support a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 18.

These conditions are for automatic voter registration at age 18, and for the age of eligibility for election candidates to the Dewan Rakyat to be lowered to 18.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said this would resolve other issues related to a lower voting age and the government would not need to make amendments to the constitution repeatedly.

“If they want our support, they have to support our suggestion, too. It is not just about lowering the voting age to 18 but how to make this more meaningful for the people

“We are faced with the issue of four million eligible citizens who did not register as voters. 

“So, we are proposing automatic voter registration at age 18. Then, the government won’t need to make more amendments in the future. 

“We can settle everything now,” Tuan Ibrahim said at a press conference in Parliament today.

With him was opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is also Umno vice-president.

Ismail Sabri said the bloc would table its own proposal in the Dewan Rakyat for Malaysians aged 18 to be automatically registered as voters.

“We raised this with the government, that if their bill does not provide for automatic voter registration, then we will not support their constitutional amendment,” said Ismail who is also Bera MP.

He said in line with a lower voting age, another article should be amended to lower the minimum age of election candidates to 18.

“Article 47 should also be amendment so that the minimum age of election candidates be lowered to 18.

Article 47 states that membership of the Dewan Rakyat or House of Representatives should be by persons not less than 21 years of age.

The opposition held its press conference after Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today briefed all MPs on the government’s proposal to amend Article 119(1) of the federal constitution to lower the voting age from 21 to 18.

The government is expected to table the amendment tomorrow for first reading.

A constitutional amendment will require the support of two-thirds of MPs, but Pakatan Harapan plus its allies in Sabah are still nine short of the threshold. – July 3, 2019.