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KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 — The Bar Council today said its MyConstitution campaign has been successful in educating urban youth on the federal constitution and voting rights, since being launched in November 2009.

Edmund Bon, the former chairman of the constitutional law committee of the Bar Council, said the campaign has garnered a strong online following, especially among young people living in cities nationwide.

“For urban areas, I think we’ve been able to disseminate information effectively,” Bon told The Malaysian Insider in an interview this week.

“Our internet presence is quite strong. Among youth, (we’re) especially quite popular,” he added.

Bon, 36, said the campaign aimed to educate young Malaysians — aged between 15 and 35 years — on the federal constitution as it was the “most important document in the country”.

“This campaign speaks about the constitution in a way that encourages the youth to value the constitution and value their citizenship as a Malaysian,” said the lawyer.

“Connected to that is the necessity we think for every Malaysian to exercise their right to vote,” Bon added.

The Sarawak state election will be held on April1 16 and the Najib administration will be gauging at the results before considering snap polls widely speculated for later this year.

Bon said the Bar Council wanted the youth to exercise their right to vote on bread and butter issues.

“We want the electorate to make informed choices,” said Bon.

The lawyer also said the lack of resources had hampered attempts in reaching out to rural communities.

“The rural communities that we reached are Orang Asli settlements... in Pahang and Perak, and residents’ associations,” said Bon.

Syahredzan Johan, who took over Bon’s position in the constitutional law committee some two weeks back, pointed out that the Bar Council had launched the MyConstitution campaign in most private institutions throughout Malaysia.

“We’re asking the Higher Education Ministry (for permission) to distribute (campaign booklets) in (public) universities,” said Syahredzan. Bon said the Bar Council has distributed some 150,000 booklets on the constitution nationwide to date.

The final phase of the MyConstitution campaign will be launched this Saturday at Fort Cornwallis, Penang at a 12-hour concert and carnival with the release of its ninth booklet titled “Elections and democracy”.