Commenting on a recent remark by Minister Azalina Othman Said that the system was unconstitutional, Padang Serai MP N Surendran said that all it required was an amendment to Article 119(4) of the Federal Constitution, which covered the qualifications of voters.
“The government should consult us instead of saying that nothing can be done.
“Many countries across the world have implemented this system,” he told FMT, adding that the opposition “would surely support any such amendment bill” if it would allow the system to be implemented.
Surendran said however that the government had been giving “poor excuses” all this while as to why the automatic voter registration system could not be implemented, despite a clear demand for it these past years.
“It is not a new thing. But the government has not done it, giving poor excuses. They must explain why,” he said.
In a written reply in the last parliamentary sitting, Azalina had said that the suggestion to make the country’s voter registration automatic went against Article 119 of the Federal Constitution that states that any Malaysian citizen who has reached 21 years old and has not lost their qualification as a voter needs to apply to be registered as a voter.
The minister also said that if such an initiative were to be implemented, it would need to be studied thoroughly first before any amendment to existing provisions could be made.