Malaysia’s youth election: will the biggest ever cohort of under-40s voters make a difference?
After the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18, the youth vote has become key to the outcome of November’s election
Suba, a 23-year-old international relations student from outside Kuala Lumpur, didn’t grow up in a household that talked about politics, but over the years his interest in government has grown. Suba will soon become one of millions of people voting for the first time after the south-east Asian country lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
“I’m anxious,” he says. “I feel the absolute need to vote and I do understand my vote is significant and valuable … but will it change the status quo?”