When We Are Young
This article puts forth arguments to the number of objections against lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 in Malaysia.
SUARA MANDIRI Issue #4
“Young”, a word that invokes all kinds of imagery, including fresh, energetic, beautiful, creative – and rash, inexperienced, and rude. Youths represent something new and fresh, often embodying a contemporary set of values of which older generations may find deplorable. In context, the difference in generational views and lack of empathy for the young has led to numerous social stigmas surrounding youths.
One of the main arguments against lowering the voting age is that youths are too inexperienced to make good decisions. The common rant is, as youths are naïve and inexperienced, they can be easily duped by malicious politicians, and as such, they should not be allowed to make important political decisions.
Yet, in Malaysia, non-Muslim youths can get married at 18 years old, and girls at 16, as long as they receive permission from the state Chief Minister.[1] Muslim girls on the other hand, can get married at 16, boys at 18, and they may also get permission from the Sharia court to marry before their respective legal ages.[2]
By this sliver of contention, youths are not capable of making good decisions in choosing the government for the next five years, but are able to choose their spouses for life. The argument is flagrantly flawed. It must be admitted that youths, equipped with adequate knowledge and skills, can make sound decisions.
Marred by stereotypes, another objection to the lowered voting age is that youths are unscrupulous and morally corrupt. The reason behind this skepticism could possibly be attributed to different generations holding different societal values. Actions deemed morally reprehensible (e.g. divorce, clubbing, and et cetera) by the older generation may not be as abhorrent to youths. However, different opinions and values should be respected, not brushed off in disdain. This simply is not a valid reason to deny youths their political rights.
There is also a misconception that youths are lazy and lack knowledge about the 'real' world because they are addicted to digital technology. Yet, in this modern era, smartphones and other digital devices are not just all fun and games – they have become essential working tools. This is especially prominent during the pandemic, when working and studying are increasingly accomplished online.
The internet and social media have become the cradle of political activism, by giving netizens access to news and political information unavailable via traditional media. Many recent democratic movements, such as the protests of Hong Kong Anti-ELAB as well as in Thailand and Myanmar, have utilised social media to coordinate peaceful protests, and call for international action. Social media has also enabled protesters from the said countries to form the Milk Tea Alliance, to encourage each other, share experiences, and garner support across borders.[3]
Youths above the age of 18 should be granted their voting rights – after all, youths have a stake in society too. In a comparison between Malaysia and other countries with a voting age of 18-years old or even lower, there is evidence of democratic deprivation, specifically in Malaysia where the voting age has yet to be lowered to reach common standards.[4] The voting age in Malaysia has become an instrument for higher political control.
18 years old is the most common voting age, but some countries have further lowered the voting age to 16. 84% of 197 countries[5] of the U.N. recognises a minimum voting age requirement of 18 years old.[6] However, they are not all homogenous when it comes to exceptions in rule and histories. Some countries have mandatory voting (22 countries), while some don’t.[7]
On the other hand, there are over 20 countries with a voting age higher than 18 years old, and Malaysia is one of them. A common standpoint between these countries is that 18-year-olds are adults according to the law, and gain multiple legal rights. In Malaysia, they can be voluntarily enlisted in the military, tried as adults for crimes, and get married.
There are a plethora of reasons why the voting age in Malaysia should be reduced to 18 years old, following the Undi 18 Bill. One salient rationale is, 18-year-olds have the legal responsibilities of an adult, but are denied the same rights, despite being active members of society.
As a matter of fact, Malaysian youths are already participating in politics. The age of candidacy for election is 18 years old, but youths below 21 are still unable to vote. Back in October 2019, MCA Youth Chief Nicole Wong demanded an answer from the Election Commission (EC),
“the EC should give a clear explanation to justify this discrepancy which has surely doused the enthusiasm of youths looking forward to fulfilling their civic duty in casting their ballots”.[8]
Consequently, Malaysia would miss out on a number of positive outcomes from lowering the voting age. As such, one is the failure to benefit from the increase in voter turnout. Youths below 21 years old comprise over 7.8 million of the whole Malaysian population. In the last 2018 General Election (PRU), Malaysia had a voter turnout or participation of 82.32%from 14.9 million voters.[9] Younger generations are becoming more interested in participating in politics, and are gradually more aware of the importance of upholding democracy in Malaysia.[10]
Further, young people have a right to be heard and have their interests taken seriously. By disenfranchising young people, it is falsely deduced that they do not have anything of value to add to the political conversations in our society. Youth have had to acquiesce to politicians ignoring their interests as they are silenced from holding their representatives accountable. This is a grave concern, especially when environmental degradation, public education policy, long-term government debt, corporal punishment laws, and poverty impact young people more than anyone else. With their tech-savvy minds, the youth may even be more cognisant to modern issues surrounding digital privacy and social media use.
It is, by and large, erroneous to deprive young people of the right to vote, as knowledge and experience are not necessary to be eligible to vote. Young people can be as politically informed as older people, or even more well-informed due to the power of the internet. However, there is absolutely no requirement that either group should have any political knowledge to cast their votes.
In retrospect, the education system ought to be scrutinised as well. At present, it is widely perceived that the youths are not intent on participating in politics. Even if they are interested, they are not sufficiently aware of the Malaysian political landscape. Age discrimination, which is still rather common in Malaysia, only adds fuel to the fire, resulting in a political environment that is grossly skewed against the youth.[11]
The education system, with History and Civic Education subjects, is capable of achieving this end with proper restructuring of the syllabus to awaken political consciousness and develop democratic virtues. Civics Education, reintroduced in 2019, is a nationwide programme aimed at developing responsible, compassionate, and considerate community and individuals.[12]
Although Civics Education 2019 is a commendable course of action, a step further could have been taken with the inclusion of theory of polity, public policies, and democratic governance. The revamp of the syllabus also ought to be devised by an impartial and non-partisan body. Maintaining neutrality is absolutely paramount as it asserts the youths’ right to access unbiased information, and the freedom to make informed choices.
Mock parliaments have emerged to be a popular and effective way to increase political involvement and awareness among the youths. In July 2020, a virtual mock parliament, Parlimen Digital was successfully organised by a group of Malaysian youth associations.[13] The initiative arose from immense frustrations with the government's refusal to hold a virtual parliament session, despite the pressing need for one. This successful event goes to show two things: (1) the youth are very much interested in participating in politics, and (2) their political awareness could be enhanced through events such as said Parlimen Digital. The youth would also garner the benefit of acquiring hands-on learning experiences and hone skills of engaging in political discourses and debates.
Besides the education system, the youth could be led by example. Youth leaders could be relied on to increase political awareness, by being exemplary figures with their involvement in politics and inspire the youth to follow in their steps. For instance, young politicians such as Syed Saddiq[14] and Yeo Bee Yin[15] have made numerous efforts to mobilise and encourage the youth to cultivate an interest in Malaysian politics.
Participation of the youth in politics is a fundamental democratic right, and their participation is critical in creating policies to address the needs of the younger generation.[16] Unequivocally, it is high time Malaysia supports the participation of youth in politics and empowers the young to be efficient leaders.
The youth are the future of our country. However, our current policies that place strong emphasis on middle-aged and aged populations harm youths, as they are often overlooked and put on the back-burner during campaigning and policy-making. Education, young entrepreneurship, and graduate employment are only the tip of the iceberg of matters concerning the youth and they must be cared for.
Youths should be able to participate in the electoral process to protect their rights. They also bring diversity to the political sphere, an arena currently dominated by the older generation with conservative stances. The country palpably needs fresh and progressive ideas to move forward. Youths, as stakeholders in our society, should be allowed to vote.
References:
[1] Prof Dato’ Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, Mohd Al Adib Samuri. (2018). Child Marriage in Malaysia (Working Paper). <https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/media/711/file/Child%20marriage%20in%20Malaysia.pdf>
[2] Ibid. 1.
[3] Tanakasempipat P, “Twitter Launches 'Milk Tea Alliance' Emoji as Movement Grows” The Star (2021) <https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2021/04/08/twitter-launches-039milk-tea-alliance039-emoji-as-movement-grows>
[4] Lee, C., ‘The Lowered Voting Age in Malaysia: Who Will Benefit?’ (2020) <https://www.iseas.edu.sg/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/ISEAS_Perspective_2020_5.pdf>
[5] “How Many Countries Are There 2021” World Population Review (2021) <https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/how-many-countries-are-there?> accessed 2021
[6] Ibid. 5.
[7] Liebhaber L, “Countries that have mandatory voting” Stacker (2019) <https://stacker.com/stories/3485/countries-have-mandatory-voting> accessed 2021
[8] Lim I, “MCA Youth Questions Why Malaysians Aged 18 Can Be Election Candidate, but Can't Vote: Malay Mail” (Malaysia | Malay MailOctober 2, 2019) <https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/10/02/mca-youth-questions-why-malaysians-aged-18-can-be-election-candidate-but-ca/1796503> accessed April 24, 2021
[9] Hermesauto, “Malaysia's Election Commission: Voter Turnout at 82.32%, Higher than Initial 76%” (The Straits TimesMay 11, 2018) <https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysias-election-commission-voter-turnout-at-8232-higher-than-initial> accessed 2021
[10] Harahap, H.I., 2021. The Driving Factor for Stability of Voter Turnout in Southeast Asia: The Evidence from Malaysian and Indonesian Elections. Journal of Social and Political Sciences, 4(1).
[11] Choo L, “Empowering Youths to Participate in M’Sian Politics” MalaysiaKini (February 17, 2019) <https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/464339> accessed 2021
[12] BERNAMA, “Civics Education - a Responsibility for All” MalaysiaKini (2019) <https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/503450> accessed 2021
[13] Teoh C, “Youth Moving to the Forefront of Malaysian Politics” THE DIPLOMAT (2020) <https://thediplomat.com/2020/09/youth-moving-to-the-forefront-of-malaysian-politics/> accessed 2021
[14] Golingai P, “POLITICS: Youth Power vs Old Men Politics” The Star (2020) <https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/09/04/politics-is-malaysian-politics-dominated-by-old-men> accessed 2021
[15] “Inspiring to Inspire” The Star (2018) <https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/09/02/inspiring-to-inspire> accessed 2021
[16] Hung Ji I, “More Youths in the Cabinet, Please” New Straits Times (2020) <https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2020/10/631802/more-youths-cabinet-please> accessed 2021