The people, including former politicians, journalists and lawyers, who threaten to boycott the coming 14th general election (GE14), or to spoil their ballots at the polling booth, are both irresponsible and selfish.
And those who encourage others to do this are downright reprehensible.
If these adults were fresh out of school, with little or no interest in politics, one might be able to understand their reasoning; but many of these abstainers are adults with a university degree, jobs and families.
Most of them have threatened to boycott the polls because former prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would be the interim PM, should Pakatan Harapan win the election.
Those of us who now support Mahathir's leadership of the Opposition are aware that he is the architect for many of the things that have gone wrong in Malaysia, today. He created this monster, and he alone knows how to destroy it. But have we changed our minds about Mahathir? Absolutely not!
The main thrust of our support is to get rid of Najib Abdul Razak, before Malaysia reaches the tipping point. The rural Malays are the backbone of Umno-Baru's support.
If they trust Mahathir and he can persuade another five p[ercent of the Malays to vote against Umno-Baru, then why not? They might make all the difference to the final result.
Do the abstainers think that the Opposition politicians are imbeciles, who will allow Mahathir to dictate to them, should they win GE-14? It is highly unlikely that they would agree to Mukhriz leapfrogging over other able politicians for the top job. There is no way anyone will allow the extension of the Mahathir legacy, or allowing Mahathirism Mk II to take hold. Once bitten, twice shy.
The one consolation...
There is one consolation; Mahathir is not young, and he will not rule for another 22 years.
Others claim that the parties in Harapan trade more blows against one another, than against Umno-Baru/BN. Who do they think made this possible? PAS was used to break up the coalition. The egos of the various leaders in PAS, were massaged by Umno-Baru's offer of power, position and prestige.
The ruling party has the rakyat's money at its disposal to disrupt and destroy any cohesion which exists between the various Opposition component parties. The money is also used for promoting its party policies, to persuade people to vote for them, and also for publicity. The Opposition has no slush fund to use for such activities.
A few are unhappy that young politicians are not leading the Opposition. Why don't they say the same about Umno-Baru? If the abstainers are not happy with the calibre of Opposition politicians, why don't they offer themselves for election?
I would rather vote for a politician who has cut his teeth in the real world, rather than a career politician like Najib. Trump is a self-made multi-billionaire, but MO1 became a billionaire, allegedly from the largesse of the Malaysian rakyat.
The abstainers use the same tired argument, that the ruling party and the Opposition coalition are similar. That many in PKR are Umno-Baru rejects. That their vote will not change anything. That even if they were to vote, things will still remain the same. That there is no point in voting, because there is too much cheating at the polls, from phantom voters, gerrymandering, re-delineation and abuse of postal voting.
When they boycott the polls, or spoil their votes, they give Najib and Umno-Baru the mandate to govern for another five years. Enough time to run Malaysia into the ground.
The outcome of the polls, will directly affect the abstainers. Boycotting GE14 means that their children will suffer and the change that everyone desires will slip from their grasp.
Of course, the system is flawed, but to change it, the people must act. That does not mean doing nothing.
One of the good things about Malaysia is its healthcare system. The queues may be long, but healthcare is affordable. The Klinik Desa, the hospitals, the medical staff and the equipment are relatively good.
A regular patient at a public hospital said, "There is no profit margin to maintain, or quota to reach. The staff will do what is necessary to treat you. All you need is patience."
If you refuse to vote, you will not have any say in how the government, or your local council will spend, or waste your money, nor how they will use it for healthcare and other services.
In some countries, people face violence when voting, or are not allowed to vote. Why be daft and give up your constitutional right, because you want the ideal party and the ideal candidate?
If you think that you are smart by not voting, then you have fallen into the establishment trap. They want to maintain the status quo; but if you vote, you shift the balance of power.
So, if you refuse to cast your ballot, do not think that your views will be entertained. You will become a faceless nobody, of no account. So, stand-up, vote and be counted!
If you don't vote, you will suffer under Umno-Baru for another five, or more, years.
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