Sarawak NGO seeks court intervention on Undi18 Act before state polls

Undi Sarawak says youths between the ages of 18 and 20 are owed their constitutional right to vote.

PETALING JAYA:

Five Sarawak youths representing a non-governmental organisation are seeking a judicial review to compel Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, the federal government and the Election Commission (EC) to implement the law lowering the voting age to 18 in or before July, in anticipation of the imminent Sarawak state election.

The five, aged between 18 and 20, who represent NGO Undi Sarawak, filed the review application at the Kuching High Court yesterday.

They are also seeking declarations from the court that any delay in the implementation of the Undi18 Act amounts to voter suppression, and that those aged 18 to 20 can legitimately expect to be able to vote by July as initially promised.

The EC had earlier said the lowering of the voting age could not be executed until at least September 2022 due to issues caused by the pandemic.

However, de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan has since stated that the EC would take immediate steps to see the change realised, following discussions with the Cabinet, adding that it could happen by the end of the year.

In an online press conference, one of the five applicants, Ivan Alexander Ong, said the implementation was particularly important to Sarawak’s youths as the state election was slated to be held on Aug 7 or upon the conclusion of the state of emergency.

“The Undi18 Act must be implemented by July to ensure these young Sarawakians can exercise their right as first-time voters during the upcoming state election.

“Undi Sarawak holds firm to our belief that youths between the ages of 18 and 20 are owed their constitutional right to vote. This is made more pertinent for approximately 125,000 to 135,000 Sarawakians aged 18 to 20.”

He said while Takiyuddin’s comments and the commitment of the Cabinet were welcomed, the authorities had yet to present a concrete timeline or course of action.

Simon Siah, from the group Lawyers Kamek for Change, who is representing the applicants, said case management had been scheduled for May 24.

Despite there not being much time between the filing and the tentative date of the election, Siah believes it is possible for them to achieve the desired outcome.

“To not allow youths to register by July, especially in view of the upcoming general election, amounts to voter suppression, particularly for the applicants, as they will not be able to register in time to vote.

“This is unacceptable and we believe that the EC is acting against the rights of these young voters who have a say in how the state is to move forward in the coming five years,” he said.

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Sarawak NGO seeks court intervention on Undi18 Act before state polls

Undi Sarawak says any further delay by the government amounts to voter suppression, and that youths can legitimately expect to be able to vote by July.