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Undi18, auto registration only after September 2022

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The Election Commission is committed to implementing both policies, says chairman.

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Free Malaysia Today
Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh says preparations for the policies were delayed due to Covid-19 and the movement control orders.

PETALING JAYA:
The automatic registration of 18-year-olds as voters is expected to be delayed till after September 2022.

Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said that despite EC’s continued commitment towards the two policies passed by Parliament in July 2019, preparations were delayed due to Covid-19 and the movement control orders.

“The EC wishes to explain that measures towards implementing Undi18 and automatic voter registration are underway, and that appropriate steps are being taken.”

The next general election is due to be held in September 2023, with Parliament’s tenure ending in July that year, if elections are not called beforehand.

“We will need to look at systems development, checking and coordinating data, conducting follow-up discussions with government agencies, political parties and NGOs, and other preparatory steps,” Ghani said in a statement today.

The EC will also be reviewing the various obstacles and issues that disrupted their initial plans.

“The EC is committed to implementing auto-voter registration and Undi18 so that these plans will be in place for the 15th general election in 2023, according to Article 55(3) of the Federal Constitution.”

He said the EC was also preparing an interim report on the matter, expected to be published in September this year.

Based on the EC’s records, there are 5.6 million Malaysians who are above 18 but not registered as voters. Of that number, 1.2 million are aged between 18 and 20 while the other 4.4 million are aged 21 and above.

In November last year, law minister Takiyuddin Hassan was reported as saying that automatic voter registration of 18-year-olds is expected to be in place by July at the latest.

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