Why your protest vote should go to PH

There will never be a time when we have perfect leaders, but every vote not for PH is a vote for the status quo.

FMT LETTERS

Malaysians should vote for the system they want, not the people in power.

By Chew Jian Li

I write this in response to the article “The value of a protest vote” by Janice Fredah Ti in particular, and to Maryam Lee and the #UndiRosak campaign in general.

Your right to spoil your vote and protest the current political climate is sacrosanct, and I disagree with Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters who have vilified and attacked you personally. That is blatantly wrong and unacceptable. However, I do vehemently disagree with your point of view.

It is true that PH is nowhere near perfect, and that many people are unhappy with Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the coalition. I myself am very aware of his many evils and wrongdoings and despite being a staunch PH supporter, have no love for him.

It is true that PH needs to earn your vote, and that in the event of a victory, PH may evolve from the lesser evil to the greater one. But all I’m saying is that you should vote for the system you want, not the people in power.

In order for Malaysia to mature politically and for a true two-party system to arise, Barisan Nasional (BN) has to lose power, and the only way for this to happen is for PH to take over. Only by having a PH government can the eroded institutions of the state, especially our judiciary, begin to be repaired.

A PH government would repeal the draconian and anti-democratic laws passed by BN such as the Universities and University Colleges Act, the National Security Council Act, the Anti-Fake News Act etc. Also, a PH government would redraw the gerrymandered and twisted electoral boundaries and reform the Election Commission which has subverted democracy and the “one-person-one-vote” principle. A PH government would stem the embezzlement of the nation’s wealth.

Now, is PH infallible and incorruptible? Of course not. However, in the status quo, our current morally bankrupt, self-serving political elite is untouchable due to its stranglehold on power.

A PH government, kept in check by independent, powerful institutions to prosecute any abuse of power, as well as a vigilant and active civil society, would have far less ability to get away with any potential crimes, and a PH government would prosecute the evil men and women who have robbed our country and bring them to justice.

A PH victory in the election would permanently discredit the racist and bigoted narrative being spun by Umno leaders and the shameful, cowardly and disgraceful silence of MCA, MIC, and Gerakan leaders.

Umno has abused race and religion to mislead and brainwash the common Malay folk, who have been abandoned in poverty as they endure higher costs of living on low and stagnant wages. Its scapegoating of the Chinese community has only contributed to the current resentment and tension in society as well as the haemorrhaging of talent due to brain drain. As someone of at least partial Chinese descent, I’m sure you are well aware of this.

Let me make it very clear that I have no qualms with the Malays, who are generous, warm, hospitable and kind people, and who are some of my closest friends. My qualms lie with Umno and its leaders. Even though it is naïve to believe that racial tension and distrust will disappear overnight with a PH victory, it would put us well on the road to recovery.

Finally, there will never be a time when we have perfect leaders. The terrible reality is that politics is and will always be a dirty game. Even in the developed West, you have a UK with a heartless and out-of-touch conservative party, a neo-Marxist Labour party led by clowns and a powerless Liberal Democratic party. In the US, the populace was forced to swallow their disgust and choose between a corrupt, out-of-touch, potential warmonger and a buffoonish, stupid, incompetent clown for president.

We will always be forced to choose between two bad options. You believe that by spoiling your vote, you stand by your principle of protest, and that your protest will spur the parties involved to improve themselves to appeal to the people. However, in Malaysia’s unequal electoral environment, you will only support BN, as every vote not for PH is a vote for the status quo.

The #UndiRosak campaign is only going to inadvertently empower the very people you hate and the broken system they perpetuate.

To conclude, while I agree with your right to express your disgust with the options we have, I believe that you should vote for a new Malaysia, a two-party democracy with strong, independent institutions, a strong civil society, a more harmonious populace and a nation in which people are no longer forced to emigrate in order to secure a better life.

A vote for PH, despite its many flaws and weaknesses, will lead Malaysia down that road instead of suffering the ignominy of a kleptocratic, discriminatory and oppressive future.

Chew Jian Li is an FMT reader.