KUCHING: Dr Kelvin Yii wholeheartedly welcomes an announcement by the Election Commission on the government’s intention to table in the coming parliament sitting a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 18.
He hopes that the opposition including GPS, Umno and even PAS would support the amendment so as to empower youths and to encourage more political participation among them.
“We were informed that the first reading of the motion will likely be on July 4 while the second and third reading will be on July 16,” he said.
The proposed amendment will require a two-third majority to pass so the government will require the support of opposition members of parliament.
After restoring greater autonomy to the universities as well as amending the UUCA to allow greater participation of university students in political activities on top of promoting more freedom of discourse on different political views in universities, the government now wants to lower the voting age to reflect its emphasis on youths who are the future of the country.
Dr Yii believes that many young people today are far better equipped intellectually, physically, and emotionally to make the type of choices involved in voting than were past youth generations.
According to him, many experts believe that today’s 18-year-olds are at least the equal, physically and mentally, to 21-year-olds of his father’s generation, or 25-year-olds of his grandfather’s generation.
“The contrast is clear in the case of education. Because of the enormous impact of modern communications, especially the internet and social media, our youths are extremely well-informed on crucial issues of our time.
“For example, today’s 18-year-olds have unparalleled opportunities for education at the secondary level while many 19 and 20-year-olds have significant university experience in addition to their high school training.
