That is the curious position 18-year-old Malaysians find themselves in as the Tanjung Piai by-election approaches.

Nearly three months ago, Parliament passed a law to lower the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, but it will only come into effect on a date yet to be set by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) cannot yet register those aged between 18 and 21.

It has said the current registration method would not be able to accommodate younger voters and that it is waiting for an automatic voter registration mechanism to be finalised. That may take two years.

Election Reforms Committee chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman told FMT he believed the EC should use the existing mechanisms to allow 18-year-olds to register as voters rather than wait for the new mechanism to be developed.

He said this meant either allowing the would-be voters to register online or requiring them to fill up a physical form.

Rashid, who is a former EC chairman, said an automatic voter registration system could not be developed overnight as the infrastructure involved other government agencies such as the national registration department.

He said he believed the EC was doing all it could to speed up the development of the system.

“But registration must go on,” he said. “There is a need for a manual system.”

Electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 has also said that 18-year-old citizens should be allowed to manually register as voters for any coming by-election.