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SHAH ALAM: A federal minister today defended the delay in the implementation of Undi18, noting that the next general elections were only to be held in 2023.
“The next elections are in 2023. Who promised that this would be done by 2020 or 2021?” Asked the Minister of Industry and International Trade, Azmin Ali, during a press conference, referring to the 18-year-old automatic voter registration.
Azmin said many other steps had to be taken before the new law could be implemented.
His comments follow a barrage of criticism against the Election Commission, which said automatic registration could only be implemented after September next year.
The EC said movement restrictions had hampered its planning and preparations.
Azmin said amendments must also be made at the state level to allow 18-year-olds to stand as candidates in state elections.
“The EC has explained and, coincidentally, a movement control order (MCO) was imposed, so it may have interrupted the process.”
He urged the public not to make assumptions or play with feelings, adding that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government supported the right to vote for young people.
Earlier today, Azmin’s cabinet colleague Khairy Jamaluddin criticized the EC for delaying the implementation of Undi18.
“It is silly. The motion control order was implemented a year ago, ”the science, technology and innovation minister said in a statement.
Yesterday, the NGO Undi18 and the political party MUDA said they were planning legal action against the government for the delay.
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