"This Was A Mistake" – Netizens Share Their Mixed Reactions Towards Undi18 After GE15
While the introduction of 18-year-old voters was a historic moment for Malaysia, some were not amused.
By Aqasha Nalani — 20 Nov 2022, 05:07 PM — Updated about 2 years ago
Following the results of the 15th General Election (GE15), many Malaysians now have mixed feelings about Malaysians aged 18 and above who were newly granted the right to vote
Prior to polling day on 19 November, most Malaysians were seen encouraging young voters to go out and vote in order to exercise their rights and form a government that they believe is deserving.
While most at first appeared to support the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019, which reduced the voting age in federal and state elections from 21 to 18 years, many now believe the bill was a mistake.
One Twitter user sparked a heated debate among netizens on the platform after they pointed out their belief that Undi18 produced unexpected results for GE15.
Some Malaysians believed that 18-year-old voters were unprepared to vote in GE15, citing the fact that this new generation of voters had not been educated enough about politics to cast ballots
A 19-year-old user said that people in her age group mostly do not care for politics.
According to her, she had asked some young voters who they were voting for, and some had replied, "Just vote for anyone."
Another user said that after the GE15 election results, they realised that Undi18 was a mistake, citing Nurul Izzah's defeat as an example.
"Religious and racial sentiments work for them and it is not a good sign," he said.
Meanwhile, Twitter user @zaymzrf suggested that Undi18 be cancelled until politics is taught properly in schools.
On the other hand, a majority of people still believe that 18-year-old voters should be given the right to vote in the name of democracy
Undi18, according to user @shaik_ir, should not be blamed because it promotes healthy democracy. However, he pointed out that the main problem is actually the youth's lack of political literacy.
"Many young people continue to lack knowledge about economic issues, strong governance, and clear government policies," he said.
Another user agreed that while Undi18 should not be repealed, the Universities and University Colleges Act of 1971 (AUKU) — an act that prevents students from being involved in politics on campus — should.
"University students need to be exposed to how politics work by having freedom in practising politics," he said.
Twitter user @najihahshahrel also said that a healthy democracy can be taught to the younger generation through Undi18.
According to her, the new bill will give Generation Z the opportunity to learn something new over the next five years.
"Time to be open-minded and accept the result," she said.
