By In July 2019, the Malaysia parliament approved a bill to reduce the voting age for general elections from 21 to 18 in which 211 out of 211 lawmakers supported the amendments to the Federal Constitution which allowed the changes to be introduced.
Sarawak is the first state in Malaysia to amend its State Constitution to lower the voting age from 21 to 18 years old.
The state also lowered the minimum age required for a person to become an elected representative from 21 to 18 years old through the Constitution of State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2022.
Following this, the State Constitution was put in line with the amended Article 47(b) and Article 119(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution – also known as the UNDI18 bill.
In addition to the implementation of UNDI18, the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) was introduced.
According to statistics by the Election Commission (EC), it was projected that 7.8 million new voters will be automatically registered which is an increase of 50 percent from the current number of voters by 2023.
Previously, youth participation in politics was often overlooked due to underlying perceptions that this group are not ready or not mature enough.
With the advancement of technology and modernisation of the world, the youth could offer a new breeze in politics and decision making as they can be a force that is creative and dynamic who are hungry for change.
PAVING THE WAY FOR YOUTH IN POLITICS
Giving way to the youth has been a culture in the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as its chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg believes it is the way for the youth to have experiences and exposures in politics.
The implementation of UNDI18 since December 2021 saw many young voters casting their vote for the first time in the 12th state election (PRN12).
Following this, GPS component parties comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) have taken the stride to set up new wings in their respective parties to accommodate youth members in this category.
As the backbone of GPS, PBB has set up its Pergerakan Belia wing for members aged 18 to 28 with vice-president Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee being tasked to spearhead the committee to set up the new wing.
Describing it as high time for PBB to rejuvenate itself to remain relevant in the now youth-centric political environment, he pointed out that PBB has always been a party that prepares future leaders in Sarawak.
“PBB strongly believes that we must accommodate the youth and I am pleased to note during the last PBB Supreme Council election, we elected a young leader to our ranks. Syed Hamzah Wan Hamid Edruce made history being the youngest to be elected in the Supreme Council. Of course, there were sceptics, but he managed to pull through.
“I think the grassroots also realised the importance of giving way to the youth, that is why they have spoken in the last PBB convention on this thus electing Syed Hamzah to the Supreme Council,’’ he said.
Similarly, the oldest political party in Sarawak – Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) – also followed in the same footsteps with the recent launch of its New Bees (ladies and gentlemen aged 18 to 28) and Puteri (ladies aged 18 to 30) wings.
According to SUPP Youth chief Michael Tiang, with new wings focusing on the specific groups it enables the party to better understand the needs and aspiration of the youth and women.
He said as Sarawak place great importance on grooming the young and women to lead the state in the future, the creation of new wings would give them the opportunity to learn about leadership.
“Having said that, I think the participation of youth in politics is not very active yet so we do need more participation from the youth so that they will understand how the government works.
“The young have a voice and politics is the place for their voices to be heard so I hope they will find their footing in politics and compliment the overall strength of the party through the new wings. I also hope that they will understand that its not just about serving the people, but to go out and make a difference in society,” he said.
As for Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), it set up a new wing named PEWARIS in March this year for youths aged 18 to 28 and it is being headed by the party’s youngest elected representative, Baleh assemblyman Nicholas Kudi Jantai.
PRS secretary-general Datuk Janang Bungsu said the new wing is important as youth involvement will be key to political reform in the country.
“We believe we must adapt to the current changes in this new political arena. Political parties must allow more younger leaders to climb up the party hierarchies and field younger candidates in upcoming elections.
“It is crucial that PRS attracts youths through activities or programmes that resonate with the group be it social, sports or politics. Our approach and strategies must be formulated in a way that touches the heart of young people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) vice president Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil stated that the party is eyeing a similar move as he believes that the party should have a similar structure.
Stressing the impact of the new group of electorates, he said it is crucial that the group be drafted into active politics.
“It is important that they be brought in and involved in the mainstream of our political system and ecosystem from a young age. This is so that they are set in the right political footing and ideology, so they are not influenced by politics of hatred, self-destruction and division that are apparently increasing of late,” he said.
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