Go out and vote to herald the dawn of a new Malaysia

What Malaysians need to do, within the next few remaining hours, is to get out and vote to reshape the destiny of the nation.

FMT LETTERS

By Rusman Hussain

Malaysians are rising up early, literally, making a beeline at their polling districts to express their collective will. If given more time to register, four million eligible voters would have made it to the ballot box too.

That would have made up a total of 19 million voters – instead of the 15 million in the country who are now tasked with reshaping the destiny of the country, perhaps for eternity.

It doesn’t matter what caretaker Prime Minister Najib Razak said to the people in his 10pm address last night. It was all about: vote us, vote us, and we will redouble our cash handouts for you.

BR1M or Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia is in the manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat anyway. The moment GST is abolished and suspended, the year-round savings will far exceed what Najib is trying to offer the B40 of the Malaysians.

Besides, it is odd, if not downright wrong, to hold back on helping people unless they give you the votes first. If this does not constitute an election offence, then nothing does.

The Election Commission (EC), being a body appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is obliged to censure and convict anyone who attempts to use money to sway the election.

Be it 1MDB, Felda, or, other scandals, the good-natured disposition of Malaysians has been taken for granted.

Malaysians need not shout. Politicians of all stripes can do that. What Malaysians need to do, within the next few remaining hours is to get out and vote.

If Malaysians choose change, a democratic transition would have to be effected. In such a situation all that the police and armed forces would have to do is to stand watch, and support the whole transition mandated by the Federal Constitution.

Rusman Hussain is an FMT reader.