Reaping what we have sown with our votes

Is "frustration" the apt word now to describe those who voted for a never-tested-before coalition to rule the country for the first time on May 9, 2018?

After more than a year of ruling by this coalition, young people are still facing a lot of problems they had no hand in creating. Far too many of them are saddled with incredible amounts of student loan debt, working in a gig economy where job security is scarce. Homeownership is out of reach. People that I know are being disenfranchised at alarming rates.

Given everything that has transpired since the coalition took office, do we still have patience for disillusionment?

We deserve a better class of politicians who recognise and act in service of greater good rather than in service of amassing more power. We deserve politicians who are held accountable for their decisions. We deserve politicians from all walks of life, not just the same old people.

Do we deserve to be disillusioned and disappointed with what our politicians, have thus far offered? Yes.

We were so desperate to change the political climate that we took the step of doing so i.e shifting the balance of power in Parliament through the ballot box. We are aware and take cognisance that we were not promised perfect candidates at that time. Unfortunately, this coalition continues with the condescending and manipulative ways to manage the country. You failed us spectacularly because you understand that brutal honesty and transparency don’t play well even though both are what we need now, more than ever.

Almost every week there is news fomented by some self-interest group or politicians that use hate and entitlement for political expedience. Such news could have been nipped in the bud as soon as it emerged if the politicians were to have the interests of the nation in their hearts. Remaining silent is not elegant or gracious but history will judge those politicians who don’t speak out as complicit.

When we voted on May 9, 2018, we thought we were making a choice between the lesser of two evils. We are now reaping what we have sown with our votes. We are now dealing with a country fueled by increased manufacturing of hate, greed and indifference. We are dealing with politicians that share racist memes that spread false propaganda and crow “fake news” when reality interferes with their ambitions. Progressive candidates are not anywhere on the spectrum we are currently witnessing.

Would I still vote in the next general election because of my disillusionment? I say "yes", I have a responsibility to participate. Not voting will be the worst choice I could make. I want to make my choice to have consequences.

I can’t say I am particularly optimistic about the impact my vote will have. Between the U-turns by the current coalition and the corruption of the previous coalition, voting might seem futile but not voting might seem incredibly selfish and shortsighted for me.

I am not deluding myself about this. I will get over my current disillusionment and will vote in the next general election. I will do something. I will tell my friends and their friends to vote pragmatically in the next general election. I will tell my friends and their friends to form collective voices to hold politicians on a higher plateau of accountability for the decisions they make with the power we give to them.

To the politicians, we are not complaining or airing our grouses. And do not say we should contribute and provide solutions instead of complaining. If we have solutions instead of grouses, we wouldn’t have put you there in the first place as we could have easily resolved the issues.

The public responded when you called on us to help save the nation by contributing to the "Tabung Harapan Malaysia". Did any politician contribute? And you dare say the general public complains too much. - Mkini