KUCHING: More than 600,000 Sarawakian youth aged 18 to 20, will only be able to exercise their voting rights starting January next year, despite the implementation of Undi 18.
The Rise of Social Efforts (Rose) organisation chairman Ann Teo said there were certain procedures to be followed, including a pre-registration verification process by the Election Commission, and due to this, their names would only be added to the electoral roll next year.
“There will be about 665,543 Sarawakian youth aged 18 to 20, which represents an increase of 54.5 per cent of the total voters in Sarawak during the 14th General Election. But, they cannot vote if an election is held this year,” she said.
“To deny their voting rights when they are (already) on the cusp of being registered shows contempt for the High Court’s decision and also the Federal Government’s desire to give more power to youth to participate in the nation’s development process,” she said in a statement.
Teo was commenting on recent reports and rumours suggesting the emergency in Sarawak is expected to end soon to pave way for the 12th Sarawak state election to be held next month.
She said although Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg does not have power to decide when the 12th Sarawak election will be held; it was not ‘entirely’ true.
She said the Chief Minister as the state executive was responsible to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Sarawak Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud on the timing to end the emergency declared in Sarawak.
Teo said based on the EC’s website, almost half of all the total 82 state constituencies in Sarawak will experience an over 50 per cent increase of voters following the Undi 18 and automatic voter registration (AVR).
Some suburban constituencies such as Tupong, Pantai Damai, Semariang, Batu Kawah, Senadin and Lambir, are expected to have a 95 per cent increase in new voters.
“It is without a doubt that these are the areas in which young people and new voters will be exercising their democratic right for the first time,” she said.
Apart from that, Teo said though daily Covid-19 cases in Sarawak had dropped, the Covid-19 hospital admission rates and occupancy rates at intensive care units (ICU) were not declining.
Hence, she urged the Chief Minister to prioritise the health of voters and not rush into having an election now.
“The state government should also request the EC to make special voting arrangements, such as expanding the postal or advance voting to allow Sarawakian voters to vote out-of-region in West Malaysia or Sabah. This would save costs and reduce health risks for all involved if they were forced to travel home to vote instead.”
“Meanwhile, televised and radio debates with equal air time slots can be given to all contesting political parties or candidates for each constituency to compensate for any reduction of face-to-face campaign events.
Teo said there are a myriad of other ways to manage the risks associated with having an election during Covid-19 pandemic and the Chief Minister can lead the way by showing the rest of Malaysia that Sarawak knows how to hold safe and inclusive elections.
Source: New Straits Times
