Hishammuddin wants study on ‘Undi 18’ before decision to lower voting age

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Pakatan Harapan’s plan to lower the legal voting age to 18 must be studied thoroughly to ensure the reform does not backfire in the future, Umno lawmaker Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today.

The Sembrong MP said with the strong social media influence on the younger generation, the government needs to ensure the youth would be able to get sufficient valid information.

“I have no strong feelings about it but I am just concerned with the influence of social media... if it can be managed so that when they do vote, they will vote with informed information and not take what is on social as it is, then I think they would be responsible enough to vote.

“I am not saying that our children and youth are not responsible but there are new tools now that can influence [them] emotionally.

“If the repercussions to reduce the voting age backfire then it’s too late for us. I hope whoever is proposing it conducts a thorough study,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here.

Hishammuddin said the ruling party has to be able to convince the Opposition lawmakers on the proposal in order to get the two-thirds majority vote in the August House.

“They have to convince you. On my side, it is just my personal view,” he said.

The plan to change the legal voting age is scheduled to be tabled in the current Parliament sitting, which requires two-thirds parliamentary majority.

The “Undi 18” movement has been working hard to educate the public on the need to accept teenagers as important and equal partners of the country’s democratic process of voting.