Youth register to ‘rock the vote’
By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, May 2 – The Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) group spent Labour Day yesterday registering the young to “rock the vote” ahead of the country’s next general elections.
Among the places they went was the Glad Tidings Assemblies of God (AG) church in Petaling Jaya where main pastor Reverend Dr. Vincent Leoh exhorted a 200-strong congregation to exercise their rights and responsibilities as voters.
Several young Christians there signed up although they had thought it was automatic to vote for those above 21 years of age.
“I thought that when you’re 21, you’re automatically registered,” said 22-year-old web designer Chris John Wong after registering at the SABM booth in the church lobby.
“It’s very convenient here,” he added.
Jasmine Chua, a 22-year-old psychology student echoed his comments, citing the convenience of registering at the church after service.
When asked why she did not register as a voter before, she replied, “I didn’t know where to go.”
Dariff Din, an assistant registrar from DAP said that they are helping SABM to organize voter registration booths at several other churches throughout the Klang Valley, such as Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) and Catholic churches like St Francis Xavier, St Ignatius Church, Our Lady of Guadalupe church in Puchong, and Assumption Church Petaling Jaya.
Rachel Tee, a 30-year-old administration officer, said that she did not know whether she had registered as a voter before this.
