Today, MITI minister Azmin Ali had defended the delay of UNDI18 [1] by pointing out that the next general election is only due to be held in 2023.
This is a feeble argument as the Prime Minister has repeatedly, the latest being on 1st of March 2021, said that a general election will be called as soon as the pandemic is over [2].
With the ongoing vaccination program, Malaysians have constantly been reassured that the pandemic can be controlled when herd immunity is achieved by having enough population in Malaysia being vaccinated which, according to the timeline provided, is expected to be by February 2022.
How can Perikatan Nasional government on one hand reassured that vaccination program will be done by February 2022, leading to reasonable speculation that general election will be called by then, and then on another hand say the delay on UNDI18 implementation to September 2022 is justifiable as general election is only due to be held by 2023?
In February 2021, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Senator Wan Fayhsal had in an online forum claimed that Malaysian youths are not ready to vote at the age of 18 as ‘there needs to be institutionalized political education first in order for Malaysian youth to be ready.’ [3]
This is a strong indication of Perikatan Nasional’s attitude and lack of political will towards the implementation of UNDI18. It is reasonable for the public to think that the delay is politically motivated. Perikatan Nasional government is shortchanging Malaysian youths by denying their rights to participate in democracy.
I call on Youth and Sports minister Reezal Merican as well as his deputy, Senator Wan Fayhsal to resign in protest of the delay of UNDI18.