Opposition MPs call for PM and law minister to resign following Undi18 ‘betrayal’

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — A group of Opposition MPs have called for Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan to resign following today’s decision to defer lowering the voting age to 18 until 2022.

In a joint statement, the MPs said the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to postpone Undi18 until September 1, 2022 was a betrayal of trust and an insult to the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.

They added that Takiyuddin — who also voted for the amendment — had said in Parliament on November 3, 2020 that the Federal Constitution would be amended to allow 18-year-olds to vote by July 2021.

“However, today, the EC announced that Undi18 will only happen in September 2022. We strongly criticise the EC’s decision. It is a huge insult to the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat.

“Based on Article 43(3) of the Federal Constitution, the Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to Parliament, hence this decision is a collective failure of the Cabinet.

“Lest we forget, the prime minister and Takiyuddin were among the 211 MPs who agreed to the amendment. As such Muhyiddin and Takiuyddin must resign immediately,” the statement said.

Earlier today, the EC blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for causing delays to its implementation of the initiative that was unanimously approved by Parliament in 2019.

The EC said it needed to evaluate new obstacles and persistent issues as well account for the various movement control orders (MCO) that are in place.

Around 95 per cent or 211 MPs voted for the amendment and then in the Dewan Negara, 47 state assemblymen or two-thirds of the majority voted for it as well.

The signatories of the joint statement were Lembah Pantai MP Fami Fadzil; Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman; Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim; Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad; Jerlun MP Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir; Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik; Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau; Sepanggar MP Datuk Azis Jamman; and Selangau MP Baru Bian. MM