KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21: The Federal government will not appeal against the ruling made by the High Court to implement the lowering of the voting age to 18 (Undi18).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said this when responding to Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo who asked the Federal government on the steps taken and the status of the Undi18 implementation.
“The Federal Cabinet had on Sep 10 decided not to appeal against the High Court’s ruling.
“I have discussed with the Election Commission (EC) to abide by the court’s decision,” he said in Parliament today.
He explained that EC had earlier sought for the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration to be carried out by September 2022 due to technical issues.
However, the High Court in Kuching had on September 3 ordered the federal government and the EC to bring forward the date of the implementation of Undi18 by Dec 31 this year.
Wan Junaidi added there were no difference on the judicial standing between the Attorney General’s Chambers and the High Court’s ruling to implement Undi18.
He explained that the difference was just the implementation date which was to be brought forward by Dec 31, 2021 from Sept 2022.
On a proposal by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman to implement Undi18 first, Wan Junaidi said Undi18 and the automatic voter registration will have to be implemented concurrently.
He explained that the federal government will have to amend the law if Undi18 and automatic voter registration were to be carried out separately.
Thus, Wan Junaidi who is Santubong MP said the federal government has decided to implement both measures simultaneously.
“The government and EC will try our best to implement the decision made by the High Court,” he added. — DayakDaily
