The Malaysian Insight

LOWERING the voting age to 18 will result in more well-behaved politicians as political parties change their approach to better appeal to this important electorate.

This is among the ways in which the historic move will help produce a more mature political culture, said experts in a talk show tonight on RTM1.

“Learning about democracy and politics is not just for the young who are going to vote but for those who are currently out there trying to canvas for votes,” said Atiqah Syairah Shaharuddin of the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM).

“With these school children becoming voters we hope it teaches political players to have decorum and to use polite language when they campaign,” said Atiqah, who is MBM deputy secretary-general.

Atiqah was speaking at a talk show titled “Bicara Naratif” along with pollster and political analyst Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre.

Dewan Rakyat had recently passed a constitutional amendment to lower the voting age to 18 from 21 and to automatically register voters.

The move is expected to add close to 7.8 million new voters to the electoral roll.

Ibrahim said the voting age change will force political parties to modernise in order to reach out to this new set of voters who will not necessarily respond to the conventional methods of campaigning.

“This will teach political parties to also have good values and to be better at spreading their message,” said Ibrahim, who is Merdeka Centre’s executive director.

“If before political parties will race to register voters, now with automatic voter registration, they no longer have to. They can now spend time educating and instilling values to young people and this will be part of our political system.”

Both Atiqah and Ibrahim said civic and political education classes will have to begin in schools but these classes may not have to be graded so that it won’t burden teachers.

These classes, however, should focus on the broader aspects of the political system instead of differences among political parties.

“We have to remove ourselves from thinking of politics in terms of parties but the bigger framework of democracy,” said Atiqah of MBM.

“Such as why is the country a parliamentary democracy, how does the constitutional monarchy work in a multi-racial society.”

Ibrahim said schools can start by instilling principles of democracy in activities such as debating clubs and elections for class monitor.

“We have to take this opportunity for parents to teach their children about the world and to have ideals. And how to have healthy debates on social issues and the environment, because this all politics.” – July 23, 2019.