Karim (second left) hands over food baskets in Asajaya yesterday.
KUCHING (Sept 5): Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has voiced support for Friday’s Kuching High Court decision that the Election Commission (EC) implements the lowering of the voting age to 18 by the end of this year.
At the same time, he hoped that the process and procedures be fine tuned to make it easier for the youths to register themselves.
“They still cannot vote even if they have reached 18 years old if they have not registered themselves as voters,” he said at a food basket handing over event at Kampung Kampung Serpan Laut and Kampung Sampun Gerunggang in Asajaya yesterday.
He added that the move by the five youths to take the case to the High Court was because they did not see any action from the EC on the matter.
Karim, who is also Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said he believed Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) will support this move in Parliament to enable those age 18 years old to vote.
He noted that some have urged the government on social media not to appeal the High Court decision.
“We cannot stop anyone from appealing because that is an offence, and our courts have its own hierachy,” he said.
The Kuching High Court on Friday ordered the federal government through the Election Commission to expedite the implementation of the lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 latest by Dec 31 this year.
Kuching High Court Judicial Commissioner Alexander Siew allowed the judicial review application filed by five Sarawakian students aged between 19 and 20 against the federal government’s decision to delay the implementation of the lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.