Move to educate students on voting and elections


The Election Commission is planning to educate students, presumably those in Form 5 and Form 6, on elections. It seems that the goal is to impress upon them to register as voters when they reach legal franchise age.


   The commission is seemingly alarmed at the large number of eligible voters -- almost three million -- who have not registered for voting in the next general election which is tipped to be held in June during the school holidays.


   Do you think students will be interested in the campaign? While they are still studying, any political mumbo-jumbo will surely turn them off. Voting or election does not click with them; it will bore them.


    If the commission goes ahead with its plan, it will be a waste of taxpayers' money. Instead it should allocate funds to practical ways of making eligible voters register. For instance, why not set up registration booths at shopping complexes and busy commercial locations? It can also send mobile vans to strategic places in villages, townships, suburban areas and cities.


    The commission has kept telling the public that a large number of eligible voters has failed to register. Is it doing something pragmatic about it? Does it come up with a list of post offices with the computerised system for voters' registration?


    Any forward-thinking commission will promptly be targeting voters who are qualified to cast votes at this moment not youths who will be eligible one day. It appears that it does not have clear directions at all and that it is getting their priorities wrong.


   It's time that it put on its thinking cap.