Yesterday, 80% of registered voters (out of the 28 million people in Malaysia) turned up for the 13th Malaysian general election aka #GE13. For the Malaysian youth who weren’t registered to vote and those who were still a year or two away from voting, they took their votes online via an unofficial “Under 21 Malaysians” (U21M) poll online.
The accompanying statement on the poll reads:
GE13 is here and everyone’s pumped up for it. To under-21s out there like us, we feel you. Nothing hurts so badly than realizing that you are a year or two away from your voting and that you have to wait another 5 years for your voice to be heard. People are using their votes for the march to Putrajaya but the only thing that you can do is talk.
But why get depressed? Political impotency is an excuse, not an incurable affliction. Utilize U21M to make your voice count. If you are unable to vote due to age or geographical restrictions:
1. Return to this page on Election Day.
2. Cast an anonymous online vote for the party of your choice.
3. Choose from a list of issues that you hope to see improvements.
4. Results will be compiled and released transparently before the end of the day.
Spread the news about U21M, let other youths about your vision of Malaysia’s future. Remember, you are always a part of Malaysia! Although you can’t vote, your voice will still always count!
And now that the #GE13 is over, so is the U21M poll. The results? As follows:
PR received 28,125 of the mock youth votes while BN received 2,971. In total, U21M received 31,096 mock youth votes. So the Malaysian youth, or at least a large portion of them, have spoken too. Perhaps they will be able to fully exercise their rights to vote for the next Malaysian general election?
Kudos to you young Malaysians for having a voice and for playing your part!
