PETALING JAYA: The Election Fee (EC) choice to delay the implementation of Undi18 and Automated Voter Registration (AVR) has drawn criticism from numerous quarters.

Political scientist Professor Wong Chin Huat informed the Solar that PAS needs to be held chargeable for the delay.

He harassed that the Islamist occasion had insisted that the Undi18 – reducing the age of eligibility to vote from 21 to 18 – should be carried out with AVR.

“I recommend that PAS take duty and ask the federal government to dissociate the 2, releasing Undi18 with out having to attend for AVR.”

EC President Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh introduced final Thursday that Undi18 may now not be carried out in July as deliberate as a result of updating AVR information would take time.

He additionally cited motion restrictions imposed to curb the unfold of Covid-19 as the explanation for the delay.

Abdul Ghani mentioned Undi18 will now solely come into impact from September 2022.

That excludes round 1.2 million potential voters if the following common election is held earlier than the top of the AVR.

Wong famous that as lately as November final yr, Prime Minister’s Division Minister (Parliament and Regulation) Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan assured Dewan Rakyat that the reducing of the voting age could be put. carried out on time.

“So what occurred?”

He mentioned that Abdul Ghani ought to resign from his put up as President of the EC because of the delay which is able to now stop greater than one million younger individuals from exercising their proper to vote.

Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann, who additionally known as for Abdul Ghani’s resignation, mentioned it was “incomprehensible” responsible Covid-19.

Qyira Yusri, co-founder of an curiosity group Undi18, described the explanation given by the EC for the delay as “invalid”.

“The EC can nonetheless enable individuals between the ages of 18 and 21 to register as voters within the typical manner. It’s clear that there’s a lot of anger and disappointment in direction of politicians on the opposite facet of the political divide and I would not be shocked if many citizens, not simply the youthful ones, select to remain at residence due to political frustration.

Malaysian Human Rights Fee Commissioner Jerald Joseph mentioned the explanation for the delay was not credible, particularly since there was no supporting proof.

“The nation is working at full capability regardless of restrictions on motion. Motion is required to hurry up implementation. “

He defined that the uncommon bipartisan initiative beneath the earlier administration of Pakatan Harapan in 2019, the place parliament unanimously authorized the measure to decrease the voting age, had sparked enthusiasm throughout the nation.

“The delay will stop the energetic participation of a giant section of the citizens, and can be a tragic day if this section is unable to take part in deciding Malaysia’s future.”