FatwaFederal TerritoriesGovernance & Administration
BAYAN LINNAS SIRI KE 188: PENETAPAN HAD UMUR MENGUNDI PADA UMUR 18 TAHUN MENURUT PERSPEKTIF SIYASAH SYAR’IYYAH
Is voting merely a right of citizens, and what is the siyasah shar'iyyah view on setting the voting age at 18?
Short answer
This Bayan Linnas holds that voting is not merely a citizen's right but is considered obligatory, because representatives and rulers are appointed through voting, in line with the maxim that whatever is necessary to fulfil an obligation is itself obligatory.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Bayan Linnas
- Topic
- Governance & Administration
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
This Bayan Linnas holds that voting is not merely a citizen's right but is considered obligatory, because representatives and rulers are appointed through voting, in line with the maxim that whatever is necessary to fulfil an obligation is itself obligatory. The view draws on the Federal Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles of the national ideology. Comparative data show that most countries set 18 as the minimum voting age, while Malaysia still sets it at 21.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Justeru tidak dapat tidak, pengundian adalah perkara yang wajib.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “BAYAN LINNAS SIRI KE 188: PENETAPAN HAD UMUR MENGUNDI PADA UMUR 18 TAHUN MENURUT PERSPEKTIF SIYASAH SYAR’IYYAH”, 2 July 2019. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/bayan-linnas/3540-bayan-linnas-siri-ke-188-penetapan-had-umur-mengundi-pada-umur-18-tahun-menurut-perspektif-siyasah-syar-iyyah. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/ruling-on-voting-age-18-years/