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KUALA LUMPUR • Young people in Malaysia will probably have more power after supporting Mahathir Mohamad, 93, to overthrow a regime that has ruled the nation of Southeast Asia for six decades.
Malaysia is "very serious" Minister of Youth and Sports Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, 25, told Bloomberg in an interview about the age of voting at age 18 before the next elections scheduled for 2023. The two-month Cabinet intends to ask the Attorney General He added that the Office needed to consider what laws needed to be amended. Mr. Syed Saddiq said that lowering the age of voting from 21 to 21 years would add 3.7 million voters, an increase of about 25% compared to the elections from May.
Voters aged 21 to 39 According to data from the Electoral Commission, the percentage of Malaysian electors is twice as high as voters aged over 60
. said Syed Saddiq, a member of Tun Dr Mahathir's political party and the youngest minister in Malaysia.
High youth unemployment proved to be a critical factor in a vote that ousted Najib Razak, who defended economic policies in favor of the Malays. The Prime Minister, who denies wrongdoing, made one last effort to seduce young people. voters on the eve of the vote, promising tax exemptions for people aged 26 and under. According to World Bank data, unemployment among Malays aged 15-24 was 10.8% last year
more than three times the national rate of 3.3%
. than among non-graduates since 2011, according to data from the central bank.
"Young people are concerned about two main issues," Syed Saddiq said. "The first is about bread and butter, which is the cost of living, affordable housing, good job opportunities and quality of life," said the minister
. . "Power should be returned to people," he said. "It means opening up more democratic spaces, which means more young people can join and talk."
About 75 percent of young voters supported the opposition in the May legislative elections, according to Ibrahim Suffian, executive director of the investigation. Merdeka Center, which follows the feelings of voters. Merdeka estimated the youth participation rate at 81 per cent, with the urban areas of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor seeing more youth outnumbering their elders in the vote.
"Young voters are the real kings of the elections – they were the ones who brought us to the government," Syed Saddiq said. "But also a warning, they could also be the ones that take us out of government, because they're not loyal to any political party."
The minister, who promised to revamp youth associations to make sure they are led by people under 35, also wants to eliminate political appointments in the sport and grant more money. Pay attention to student programs that involve coding, automation and artificial intelligence.
Reducing the voting age will help break the "youth glass ceiling" and encourage young people to be more active in political organizations, said Syed Saddiq
BLOOMBERG
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