KUALA LUMPUR: The government should consider amending the Federal Constitution to make it compulsory for all Malaysians to vote, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian).

       He also suggested that fines and other penalties be imposed on Malaysians who refused to vote.

       "For those who refuse, we can impose fines between RM100 and RM200, or bar them from renewing their driving licences," he said during his speech on the 12th Malaysian Plan (12MP) in Parliament on Thursday (Sept 30).

       Ahmad also said a number of countries in the world have made it compulsory for their citizens to vote, among them Argentina, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece and Singapore.

       "Voting is only done once every five years, not once a month," he added.

       Ahmad said in the 14th General Election, there was an 82.32% voter turnout, where 12.2 million citizens came out and cast their ballots out of a total of 14.9 million registered voters.

       "What about the other 2.7 million voters? Were they asleep? They can't even come out and cast their ballot even though it is once every five years," he added.

       Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said in July 2019 that the government did not plan to make voting compulsory in the next general election.

       On another matter, Ahmad said he would not have been charged for failing to declare RM2mil to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) if the proposed laws on political fundings had been enacted.

       Ahmad also urged the government to immediately introduce laws to regulate political funding.

       "I'm a victim because the political funding Bill wasn't introduced and fortunately I was released and discharged, but I was still made to pay a compound," he said.

       He was responding to Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) who asked why Ahmad paid the compound if he was innocent.

       Ahmad then explained that he was offered the compound in 2019 when he was first charged for failing to declare the RM2mil from Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the IRB, and giving false statements to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

       Ahmad said he claimed trial after he was offered to pay a compound of 50 times more than the amount involved.

       "I fought it that time after seeing how slow the process was. I admitted to the MACC that I received RM1.1mil, and I never admitted receiving RM2mil.

       "After that, the MACC asked the person who gave me the money, who is Pekan (MP Najib), and he verified that it was RM1.1mil when I received it," he said, adding that the court ruling on his case should be respected.

       On Wednesday (Sept 29), the High Court acquitted Ahmad of his two criminal charges involving money laundering and giving false statements to the MACC.