03-26-2021, 10:57 AM
KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council has condemned the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to defer lowering the voting age to 18 and making everyone an automatic voter until next year.
It said the move was unconstitutional and went against the decisions made by the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara in July 2019, while holding the EC entirely accountable for the postponement.
“The EC must take full responsibility for this deferment which is a huge failure and goes against the Federal Constitution.
“Suspension of Parliament cannot be abused as an excuse to ignore the constitution as you please. The failure to amend the act also shows that the EC is not independent, is abusing the regulatory process and shows how weak they are in their dedication to uphold democracy,” the council said in a statement.
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