KUCHING: Young voters particularly those who will be allowed to vote for the first time can have a massive impact on the country’s political development.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing said young voters can go either way, for the government of the day or against it.
“Youths tend to be more agile in making political decisions. However, their age has not tempered their preference to be more cautious.
“They are more adventurous in planning for their future and hence the political landscape,” he said.
Masing said this in response to whether the implementation of the automatic voter registration (AVR) and lowering the voting age to 18 years old (Undi18) would give a positive effect on Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) in the next State election.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president noted that American youths in the 1960s were more rebellious and went against the institution.
“But as they grew older, their thinking was more stable. This is human behaviour regardless of ethnicity.
“Therefore, I don’t expect Malaysian youth to be different,” said the Baleh assemblyman.
Election Commission chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh had mentioned that the AVR and Undi18 could only be implemented after Sept 1, 2022 in view of the various constraints and issues during the movement control order (MCO) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
