18-Year-Old Candidates Are Now Able To Participate In Perak Elections
A person has to be a Perak resident to participate.
By Lee Yong Jin — 28 Oct 2020, 11:49 AM
The Perak State Assembly Legislative has passed a bill to lower the eligible age of electoral candidates from 21 years to 18 years
According to Bernama, the bill was tabled by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.
The amendment to Article 30 of the state Constitution was approved with unanimous support from all 59 state assemblymen after four of them debated the issue.
The state assembly sitting lasted about three and a half hours, before it was postponed to an undetermined date.
The amendment was made to be in line with the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2019 that was amended in July last year to lower the voting age to 18 years
"This is a significant move which will have a long-lasting impact on the state and the future generation," Ahmad Faizal said.
"I call on all elected representatives in the state assembly to work together in realising our aspiration to give our youth the opportunity to contribute their energy and ideas for the sake of strengthening our democracy."
A motion of thanks to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak was also tabled after His Majesty's decree on 25 October calling for the people to unite by setting aside their differences regardless of background and political ideology
"The Perak state assembly is of the view that His Majesty had taken into account the needs of the people and the interests of all parties," Ahmad Faizal said.
The state assembly expressed their support to Sultan Nazrin Shah for his call, on 12 May, for the people to adapt to the new normal following the COVID-19 pandemic.
