Why you should vote today

 

Today we go to the polls to fulfil our obligation as citizens and to exercise our democratic right to vote.

I hope everyone who is eligible to vote will cast his or her vote. We should not say that politics does not affect us for its not so.

Some of us are tired of politics and politicians; some of us feel “my one vote” is not going to make a difference; some of us feel it does not matter who rules as “my life will be same” and the poor will continue to suffer.

But this is not so.

Every policy or programme that a government makes, every new law that it promulgates, has some effect on citizens.

We have already seen our nation decline in various aspects over the past few decades or so; we have seen how corruption has seeped into every corner of our institutions and governance systems; we have seen our freedoms chipped away and a more conservative trend emerge.

Do you feel this situation is a result of having competent governments?

It is time to reflect on where we want this nation to go, the direction it should take.

Are you worried about your inability to save for retirement or emergencies despite working hard? Are you angry over your inability to buy a house because prices are not affordable? Are you upset that although you qualify for it, your application for a scholarship was rejected?

It is no use sitting in coffee shops and complaining about the state of affairs in the country; it is no use writing or sharing messages on social media about the sorry state of affairs or of unfairness or of some incompetency in the government.

Once every five years, we are given an opportunity to decide who we elect to Parliament; once every five years we get a chance to vote for the party or coalition that we belief will act in our interest. It should not go to waste.

You and I may just have one single vote, but our collection of votes is what makes the difference. So let’s not waste it. That means not only turning up to vote but also ensuring we mark the X properly so that it is not thrown away as a spoilt vote.

If we want a good government, we must vote in good people, and those we think will do a competent job and not mess up the nation.

We must decide who among the potential prime ministerial candidates presented to us by the various coalitions can take this nation, and us, on a journey of peace and prosperity, not just bring relief from increasing food prices.

This is a period of rapid change, of great technological leaps. Soon, as robots take over more and more mundane jobs, people will need to look elsewhere to make a living. We need a government that will be able to prepare us and the infrastructure for this and other future trends.

We don’t want to be left behind while the world marches forward.

At the same time, we need a competent government which will tackle the ills currently facing the nation swiftly and fairly.

Our national debt, for instance, is high, we need a government that will take measures to reduce it while ensuring enough economic growth for people to live comfortably, or at least not suffer.

As we saw in the campaign, leaders and members of some parties are still stuck in the rhetoric of race and religion, dividing Malaysians even further. We need a government that will be able to bring Malaysians closer, to give hope of a better, united nation.

Several coalitions are fighting for our votes in GE15. However, the battle is largely between Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional.

I know, some young people feel that the coalitions in contention and the candidates proffered are not up to standard. Even if you feel that way, you can still choose the best among the worst.

Although surveys and opinion polls indicate this or that coalition will win, the situation is still fluid. But even if we know which coalition is likely to win, we must exercise our right for there are stateless people in our nation who would give anything to be able to vote.

If we don’t choose wisely today, we may end up with a catastrophe on our hands.

As Plato said: “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” I take “inferiors” to mean incompetent, unintelligent and unreasoning people. You may take it to mean idiots. - FMT

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