Umno MP moots mandatory voting, fines for those who skip ballot box
PARLIAMENT | A lawmaker has mooted making voting mandatory, with all those who skip casting their votes subject to punishment.
Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) said voting was only done once every five years, and hence there was no excuse for missing out.
"(It is only) once every five years (and) you don't go out to vote, what is this?...
PARLIAMENT | A lawmaker has mooted making voting mandatory, with all those who skip casting their votes subject to punishment.
Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) said voting was only done once every five years, and hence there was no excuse for missing out.
"(It is only) once every five years (and) you don't go out to vote, what is this? Elections are not held once a month.
"(In the 14th general election) only 82.23 percent of voters voted. Were the 2.7 million others sleeping?" he asked in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He added that by-elections tended to have low turnouts too, with three by-elections after 2018 having less than 50 percent of constituents voting.
Ahmad pointed out that 22 countries have mandatory voting, including Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Belgium, and several Latin American nations.
Fine purposed
As for punishment for not turning up on election day, the Umno secretary-general had several ideas.
"For example, fine them RM100, or RM200... or bar them from renewing their licence," he said.
Mujahid Yusof Rawa (Pakatan Harapan-Parit Buntar) stood up to support Ahmad, but was not given space to make additional remarks.
The proposal for mandatory voting comes hot on the heels of upcoming automatic voter registration.
While aimed at enrolling youths aged 18 and above, automatic registration will likely result in all adult Malaysians becoming voters.
The Election Commission is asking those aged 18 and above to verify their information with the commission starting tomorrow - in anticipation of automatic registration.
Parliament is set to expire in 2023.
However, an election may be called as early as August next year.
Putrajaya and Harapan agreed in a deal to not dissolve Parliament before July 31, 2022.
