‘Summore who to vote for, ah?’

 

Remember this catchy jingle aired on television to encourage voter turnout?

If you are old enough, you’ll instantly recognise the ditty and its lyrics “…mari lah mari, pergi mengundi, jangan lupa kewajipan pada negara”. As a kid I could not wait to vote because of this tune. Only much later in life, I realised the magnitude of going out to vote, and it being a crucial part of my Malaysian citizenship.

In about a month, we all get to cast our vote. So, who to vote for, ah?

Because our choice next month has massive ramifications for Malaysia.

Research by the Institute of Global Ethics shows that people always say they want to vote for candidates who tell the truth, are forthright about their stand on every issue, who are independent thinkers, and who don’t engage in dirty politics.

But ultimately, we don’t seem to elect these types of people to our parliament.

Shouldn’t Malaysians aspire for parliamentarians like this? Don’t we need MPs who tell the truth? Why can’t we demand that our representatives are frank on issues that matter to us? Don’t we want independent thinkers? And, aren’t you fed-up with dirty politics?

If we analyse the composition of our last parliament, we will only find a handful of MPs exhibiting these desirable attributes. One stand-out incumbent MP, is Charles Santiago, who represented Klang before parliament was dissolved. (Santiago has since been dropped by the DAP).

As voters, we must send a strong signal that only ethical candidates will get our vote. For this, we need to identify ethical politicians. But this is an extremely tough challenge with our politicians.

Unlike the incumbent Klang MP, who is always the first on the ground to offer solutions for every crisis in his constituency, most other MPs are occasional guests, at best, in their ‘kawasan’.

To top it all, some members don’t even show up regularly to parliamentary sessions.

Malaysians suffer a huge trust deficiency with politicians. Because we don’t make the effort to know our representatives, it’s near impossible to judge if they can be trusted.

So, due to our indifference, we just end up voting for parties instead of voting for individuals.

For this very reason, I started to get to know my incumbent member of parliament, Ramkarpal Singh, who represented Bukit Gelugor prior to parliament being dissolved.

I want assurance that my MP speaks the truth, will be forthright on his stand on any issue, can think independently, and will not engage in dirty politics at all.

My recommendation is you do the same. And right now, because they are fishing for votes, politicians will accommodate you. Hitherto aloof MPs will currently be the ‘rakyat’s best friend’.

Get to know the candidates in your constituency personally. Forget about the parties they represent. The question for you is amongst the list of candidates, who can you trust with your vote.

Remember, the character of each candidate matters most. Political parties are purely agenda driven, and riddled with internal politics. The party leadership only does what benefits them.

You must know if you can trust that your choice for MP will not capitulate, will stand by their election promises, and will fight for your corner of Malaysia with dignity and integrity.

We must be aware of the playbook of dirty tricks that miscreant politicians use, when we determine who we should cast our vote for.

Watch out for the slander campaigns.

Rumours, insinuations, and slanderous statements are quietly released to damage the reputation of a candidate. These campaigns are aimed at starting discussions and shaping opinions.

If one side is spending time, money, effort, and energy to vilify another candidate on flyers and on social media, instead of putting the same effort on showcasing their own commitment and involvement in your constituency, then you know they haven’t done anything noteworthy for your ‘kawasan’.

Money politics is another disease we have in Malaysia. This practice is totally unethical.

In our country we don’t have proper regulations about campaign funding. Apparently, the Political Financing Bill has been drafted, but it hasn’t surfaced yet in parliament.

We must stop allowing opaque foundations and government-linked companies from being used as channels for political funding. Citizens know that vast sums of money have been siphoned to fund politicians from these foundations that were established to eradicate poverty and do social work.

As voters, we must punish these rogue politicians who use public money like this.

Then, if out of the blue, your incumbent MP who was also a member of the executive, i.e., a minister or deputy, turns up and says they will build roads, bridges, or a hospital in your constituency if you re-elect them, ask pertinent questions about why it wasn’t done before and where the money is coming from, now. Don’t forget, most of these politicians are champions at making empty promises.

Look out for the “pre-election surprise”, an oft-used political manoeuvre in Malaysia.

If there is a shocking revelation of an inappropriate video involving a candidate or if a politician is suddenly summoned before the authorities on some alleged corrupt practice, just before the election, that’s your “pre-election surprise”.

It is time for us to mature and see these actions for what they are – pure political sabotage.

For this general election, we must cast-off our habitual civic disengagement. We cannot allow ourselves to be politically indifferent. Voters must protect Malaysia from hypocrites and liars.

Malaysians must be firm and demand that candidates speak the truth, are forthright about their stand on issues, show their independence, and stay away from dirty politics. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.