As many as 41 percent of Macao's 530, 000-population registered as voters, which exceeded 230,000, the Macao Post Daily reported on Friday, quoting figures from the Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau (SAFP) of the Special Administrative Region (SAR).

Among these registered voters, the highest number on record, 13, 347 are new electors and 7,474 voters updated their registrations, according to the SAFP figures. Last year, the number of registered voters stood at 219,849, of which 969 had already passed away.

Macao's new election laws took effect on Oct. 15, which stipulates that local permanent residents aged at least 18 have the right to vote, irrespective of nationality and place of birth, while those aged at least 21 have the right to stand for election.

The election of the SAR's new chief executive and Legislation Assembly members will be held in 2009. So far, a total of 1,913 of the newly registered voters were aged 17 at the time of their registration, and they will turn 18 next year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2008)