When Malaysians refuse to choose a side

The truth is often a bitter pill to swallow, and in this case, it comes in the form of a Merdeka Center survey and several articles that highlight voter fatigue among Malaysians. The results of the survey have sparked debates from all sides and created some level of nervousness within communities who believe that a change of federal government can happen this time around.

While there is a race from both sides of the political spectrum to capture their votes, the results do raise the question: are we even on the right path?

While many have acknowledged that those who have chosen to adamantly abstain from voting in the forthcoming general election represent a small percentage (roughly five to eight percent, according to Merdeka Center), political analysts have often pointed out that the only way to beat Barisan Nasional’s gerrymandering ways is to ensure a high voter turnout.

When BN lost five states in the 12th general election, the recorded voter turnout was 74.98 percent; BN won 50.27 percent while Pakatan Rakyat won 46.75 percent of the popular vote.

However, the results were not a complete surprise. In the months leading up to the 2008 general election, reports showed an increase of Malaysian Facebook users, from 800,000 to 13 million, or half of our country’s population, with a majority of that being pro-opposition.

The popularity of social media was definitely one of the driving factors that led to the opposition’s victory. The 13th general election saw BN losing the popular vote for the first time in history – only gaining 47.38 percent, while Pakatan garnered 50.87 percent with an estimated voter turnout of 80 percent.

No one thought a change at that magnitude was even possible but it happened – twice.

Democracy is a numbers game, where the majority rules. Every single vote matters, because even the difference of one ballot paper can decide which elected representatives we collectively choose to represent our voices.

In modern politics, there are truisms that the most vital demographics are either the disenfranchised working class or apathetic youth. What if our challenge is not to address them separately, but an amalgamation of both? How can we approach this matter in a way that can be beneficial for everyone, especially those within the 21-40 age group?

A growing sense of apprehension

One cannot deny that there is a growing sense of apprehension and distrust with the present state of local politics. Many have said they feel uninspired by the recent chain of political events, with their concerns almost completely ignored and petty issues being blown out of proportion by politically motivated opportunists.

While current headlines narrate the importance of new politics and building a new Malaysia, increasing voter engagement through the dissemination of Pakatan Harapan policies and what we stand for have not entirely reached everyone.

Some Malaysians still wonder how different the opposition coalition is compared to BN and what sort of alternative vision we can offer a country that is so hungry for change. Despite BN proffering its vision through Transformasi Negara 2050, Malaysians haven’t exactly been lapping it up, as it is filled with pointless rhetoric, and more importantly, visions that omit the beauty of our diverse society.

This is where Malaysians expect a solid counter-rationale from us, the opposition coalition.

Many point out that the anxiety some Malaysians feel is because they see no possibility of socio-political reforms through this current political system. It has become a cliché: people don’t vote because they have lost faith in the system. When such declarations are made public, those of us who still believe in the system – even with all its flaws – become too quick to judge.

Accusations of a misplaced sense of entitlement and gross negligence often dictate emotionally-driven responses, but rather than letting our anger get the best of us, the rational and more productive response would be to listen and understand where such sentiments come from.

The greatest flaw in our system is the poor quality of education, where school syllabuses are crafted by the ruling elite to support their political propaganda. Political awareness is almost non-existent, and many Malaysians are still unaware of the three-tiered governance we have – the jurisdictions of local, state and federal governments not being taught comprehensively in schools.

Despite all of this, the results of the last two general elections and the street rallies held in between shows us that there is a desire to know more about politics. Needless to say, the rise of Internet-savvy individuals and the popularity of social media have massively contributed to its appeal.

The major roadblock that separates us from this group is quite possibly our ineffectiveness to fully counter the escalation of populism and other rightwing dogma, which is a major challenge even on the international stage. Malaysians are simply burning out; casting votes have not led to obvious changes in the federal government, and neither did it halt the erosion of human rights and personal liberties.

As a result, some are beginning to feel impotent and helpless. The strength we should feel as a major voting bloc has been worn down by the current circumstances we find ourselves battling.

At the end of the day, people want a political system that is reflective of their lives and relevant at every level. People want to feel involved because that is the only way to inspire ownership.

Politics is about relating to people, voters, communities and carving out a nation’s destiny. If we stop engaging and stop listening, then the status quo will remain as it is, and we will have nothing left but a population neck-deep in apathy, broken by wasted attempts to reinstate democracy and a failure to reform a decaying nation.

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SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID is DAP Wanita national assistant publicity secretary, Penang DAP assistant publicity secretary, Penang DAP Wanita political education director and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor.- Mkini