Malaysian youths who filed a lawsuit to push for their right to vote by July 2021 are seen with their lawyers at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex April 19, 2021. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — The Undi18 youth movement secured a small preliminary victory as the High Court today agreed to hear the lawsuit by 18 Malaysian youths seeking for their right to vote to be enforced by July 2021, instead of only after September 2022.
In his decision delivered online today, High Court judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid dismissed the Attorney General’s Chambers’ preliminary objection and allowed the 18 youths’ application for leave for judicial review.
“Having considered the application, it is my opinion that the applicants have passed the leave threshold, accordingly this application to commence the judicial review is allowed with no order as to cost,” the judge said.
Previously on May 24, the judge had heard a bid by 18 Malaysian youths aged 18 to 20 who sought leave for the High Court to hear their lawsuit against the prime minister, the government of Malaysia and the Election Commission.
It also heard on the same day the AGC’s bid to have the lawsuit dismissed on a preliminary objection before it can be heard in full by the High Court.
The Malaysian youths were seeking to be able to enforce their right to vote by July 2021 as promised almost two years ago, instead of only after September 2022 as the EC abruptly announced in late March 2021.
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