Singapore Has No Plans to Lower Voting Age, Trade Minister Says

(Bloomberg) -- Singapore will keep the country’s voting age at 21 years as electing a lawmaker into office involves making serious choices which require experience and maturity, the country’s Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said Monday.

Chan’s comment comes after Singapore’s newest opposition Progress Singapore Party said Saturday that it’s seeking to lower the voting age to 18 years, in line with many other nations including those in Southeast Asia. That would mean some 130,000 would become eligible to vote, Chan said.

“The government currently does not plan to lower the voting age,” Chan said in a written reply to a question posed in Parliament. “Nevertheless, we recognize that many youths want a voice in national matters and wish to make a difference. We will continue to keep such channels and platforms open for youths to express their views, and contribute to nation building.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Kyunghee Park in Singapore at kpark3@bloomberg.net;Philip J. Heijmans in Singapore at pheijmans1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joyce Koh at jkoh38@bloomberg.net, Melissa Cheok

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.