MALAYSIA

General election gets lukewarm response from students

With the new academic semester resuming and the dissolution of parliament, some students in Malaysia are hesitant to go back to their hometowns to vote in the impending general election (GE15), though acknowledging their responsibility, writes Iylia Marsya Iskandar for The Star.

Despite being a first-time voter, Terengganu-born Muhammad Luqman Hakim Mahari (22) was not excited for GE15 as he had a lot on his plate as a final-year student. Muhammad Luqman, who studies in Kuala Lumpur, was worried that he might be stuck at his hometown due to floods if he returned home to vote.

The date for the election is still to be announced, but a 22-year-old named Siti had not bought her ticket back to Sarawak from her university in Kuala Lumpur. She said she would not be returning and was not following the political developments back at her hometown. As ticket prices might fluctuate and she would be bombarded by assignments, she was opting to not vote in the election.
Full report on The Star site