The importance of the youth is by no means exaggerated. There are estimates that 15-20% of those polling in the next election will be new voters, mostly youngsters.
As Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat parties rush to register them, the strategists may well be propelled by a rule of thumb that that 80% of those who register as voters with a certain party will end up voting for that party for the long-term.
One party that has been particularly vocal of late in raising this issue of youths has been Gerakan. The party’s Penang youth wing made a call for the government to reduce the eligibility age of voters from 21 years to 18.
"An 18-year-old is mature enough to be able to vote for his representative in the government," said Oh Teong Keong, the wing’s chief.
The irony about the situation in Malaysia is that 18-year-olds who are working are required to pay income taxes, and are eligible to register their own companies. They can even get married and be tried in court as adults.
Yet Malaysia is among fewer than 20 nations in the world where an 18-year-old still cannot vote in legislative elections.
"If they are considered mature enough to do all these, they should also be mature enough to vote. Why is an exception given to the right to vote?" Oh asked.
What is also persuasive in this regard is that most other countries in the world have voters as young as 18 and some even 16. "Despite the young age, the voters are still able to vote for better candidates to manage their constituencies and countries," Oh said.
Malaysia is among the fewer than 20 countries in the world that still stipulate the minimum voting age to be 21. There has even been a call for a Malaysian citizen to be automatically registered as a voter when he or she reaches the age of 18. "The automatic registration of voters when they reach the minimum age not only makes the registration process more convenient, but it also saves cost and time for the Election Commission," Oh said.
Gerakan’s call found support with DAP chairman Karpal Singh, who has been stressing the same for years. Other parties, including PAS and Umno, have also been trying to woo youngsters.
Gerakan, however, has been visibly vocal persistently taking a stand on the issue. Certainly, it would serve the party well to appeal to youths after it was swept out of power in the last election.
The party has even come out in support of student participation in politics. It has urged the federal government to consider the request by university students to allow them to sign up as members of political parties and take active part in politics.
Rowena Yam, Penang Gerakan’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau secretary, said: "A person who is a Malaysian citizen of 21 years and above can be member of a political party. So no difference should be accorded to university or college students who are 21."
The stand, however, was limited to university and college students engaging in political participation and activities off campus. This is a constraint that is disputed by many quarters. It is common for universities in many countries to have student clubs of political parties.
Students in Malaysia are curbed from taking part in political party activities under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971.
With the political stakes rising, there is an urgent vogue to appeal to youths. And we are likely to see the focus on youths booming over the next few months, with other parties joining Gerakan in making bolder stands on the side of this new generation that may call significant shots in the next elections.
** Republished with permission. This article first appeared in the Sept 30, 2010 issue of theSun. Himanshu is theSun’s Penang bureau chief.
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