PUTRAJAYA, Sept 6 — Many young Malaysians are so turned off by the country's current state of affairs that they did not register to vote, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed today.

The former prime minister said the youth vote would be crucial in the general election, but added that this was undependable as many are not on the electoral roll.

"Young people are different. Some people are so disgusted they don't even register as voters,” Dr Mahathir said during a town hall session at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today.

He also reminded all Malaysians that their votes are secret and not to be be afraid of reprisals.

Youth participation in politics and elections are traditionally low in Malaysia, as in most countries.