KUCHING, March 26: The deferred implementation of the automatic voter registration (AVR) and lowering of voting age to 18 years old (Undi18) to September 2022 has shown the inability of the Election Commission (EC) in carrying out their duties.
This is the view of Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Youth Central secretary-general Milton Foo who said the postponement of almost one year is contemptuous ridicule to the democratic process in the country.
“The statement by the EC is a mockery to our democratic process which shows the inability of the commission in carrying out their duty of, inter alia, registration of voter exercises to ensure fair and equitable operations in undertaking the election in Malaysia,” he added in a statement today.
With both the Federal and State Constitutions in place for Malaysian citizens aged 18 years old and above to exercise their voting rights, he pointed out that this is the very fundamental and foundation to democracy.
Seeing no reason why the EC is still not ready, he was against the Commission’s decision to settle for a delay until next year when the laws are already in place.
He asserted that the amendment to both the Federal and State Constitutions for Undi18 have been passed in Parliament on Jul 16, 2019 and in State Legislative Assembly (DUN) on Nov 12, 2020 respectively.
“The EC shall make its best endeavours to execute and implement the law, and not defer the law,” stressed Foo. — DayakDaily
