SIBU: Alice Lau Kiong Yieng says she has no special strategy to entice young voters (Undi18) because this is a challenge not only to her party but to all other parties.
According to the Lanang incumbent, this is because they are first-time voters in the coming 15th general election (GE15).
“From feedback, most of them in Sibu, so far they are not interested to vote yet. I hope the coming election campaign period will instil some spirit, interest in them to come forward and voice out their views and vote for their future and for a better Malaysia.
“At the moment, those youngsters that I have talked to do not really understand on the need to vote…who the Yang Berhormat (people’s representative) is, who the government is, they even do not know who the current prime minister is, and some even thought that Najib Razak is still the prime minister.
“That’s why we actually touch the law of Undi18…those 18 years of age can vote. We have to put more into political education and our country has not done it very well yet,” she told the media after getting her nomination papers to seek re-election in the upcoming GE15, from the Sibu Muncipal Council (SMC) office on Wednesday (Oct 26).
Lau, who turns 41 this year, was with Sibu incumbent Oscar Ling Chai Yew, 45, as they obtained their nomination forms, seeking to defend their respective Lanang and Sibu parliamentary seats.
She said education was the most important thing in letting the youngsters know that they have a say and that their voices will be heard.
“That’s why when we were in the government, we actually pushed for Undi18 or else this coming election, you won’t see so many youngsters having a chance to vote. Even those who had registered before but couldn’t get to vote are automatically registered and many do not know they are eligible to vote.
“Yesterday (Oct 25), some parents still asked whether or not their children in West Malaysia are able to vote because they want to fly back but they have yet to register. Before that, when you are over 21 years old, only you can register as a voter.
“But now you don’t have to. I told them that they can check with the Election Commission (EC) website and will know they can vote.
“This is an important message that the mainstream media could share to the rakyat that 18 of age and above could actually vote regardless they are registered or not to be eligible to vote this time (GE15),” Lau asserted.
Meanwhile, Ling pointed out that the youngsters did not know the importance of the coming GE15.
“Young people have to be informed that this GE15 is very important. A lot of youngsters are still saying there is no point choosing who the government will be as all are the same.
“I need to emphasise that it is different. Actually in Malaysia, you see a lot of parties contesting in the coming GE but if you really look into the details, only two main parts…one is conservative old power. A lot of parties coming out of Barisan Nasional (BN), they are still practicing the old way like when they were in BN.
“The other power is the new power, ‘Kuasa Baru’ – the more progressive power that is Pakatan Harapan (PH). What we are fighting for is to reform Malaysia, to better and correct the corrupt system and rectify all the problems we are having in our system.
“We are pushing for reforms…the old power, they do not want to reform. They still want to choose the old ways so that they can do whatever they want. We want to reform for a better Malaysia,” Ling added.
