Know that there is life after GE14
Johan Jaafar, The Star
BY the time this column appears again two weeks from today, GE14 will be over. For better or worse, a government will be formed, and depending on which side you supported, you may or may not be happy with the results.
Democracy is not without flaws. Despite the principle that even a vote more may tilt the overall outcome, we always find fault when we lose. We lose sourly.
The Malays have a saying for such bruising fights: Menang jadi abu, kalah jadi arang. Literally, you win as ashes and lose as charcoal. No one really wins. The aftertaste is bitter. Unhappiness prevails.
The losers will blame everything and the victors’ jubilation will be short-lived. There will perhaps be a lull before another storm. The cycle will continue – the campaigning for the next general election will begin even before the banners are taken away.
Too much is at stake. Issues are simply too contentious. Since the last election, there has never been a dull day in Malaysian politics.
If you think Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is intriguing, wait till you study how Malaysian politicians play politics.
People are changing with the times. The dynamics of Malaysian society is shifting. A more assertive, critical and demanding generation is rising in our midst. They are being defined by technology and the latest gadgetry. They are ruthlessly informed and intellectually demanding.
And they are watching us – the elders, the seniors, the veterans – at times with contempt and disgust for our ethics and deeds.
In the latest issue of Time magazine, which focuses on “The 100 Most Influential People”, Barack Obama saluted the five young advocates of gun control among the Parkland shooting survivors.
He said of them, “… they have the power so often inherent in youth: to see the world anew; to reject the old constraints, outdated conventions and cowardice too often dressed up as wisdom”.
GE14 is also about our young, for the future for them is now. We have had our say all along, determining what we believed is right and noble. But the young in the country must decide what’s best for them.
We were young once, with idealism as the swan song and the fire in the belly. We have our chance and we have done our part. Perhaps we have done our best. Perhaps not. Let history judge us, for the future is not for us to chart anymore.
They are watching how we conduct ourselves in this election. Elections are not pretty.
I hate to use the term “silly season” for an election. It is demeaning to say the least. An election is supposed to be the pinnacle of democracy and freedom. It guarantees the right for everyone to vote. One person, one vote.
No one doubts the ferocity of the campaigns this time. Social media is engulfed with the fire of hatred, character assassinations, innuendos, fake news and such.
Nothing is spared. No skeletons are left in the closets and no dirt unused.
It looks like everything may be exploited, including race and religion because these things can help win votes.
If for some people, it is about winning at all costs, we will have to pick up the pieces in years to come. And our people will have to endure the aftermath of hate and fear for a long time.
There is life after election. What about continuing the unfinished business of building a stronger nation? How about bringing the nation to the next level?
Don’t we want our young people to have a better life than ours and that they thrive in a more open, just and fair society?
I am moved by a banner put up by the residents of Section 19/3 in Shah Alam, which was highlighted by this newspaper on Wednesday.
It has all the logos of the warring political parties plus phrases such as “Kita Semua Satu Komuniti” (We Are One Community), “Kekalkan Muafakat” (Let’s Maintain the Cooperation) and “Ini Negara Demokrasi” (This A Democratic Country).
The message is that the residents can have differing views on politics and the choice to vote, but when the dust settles, the community must remain intact. These residents deserve our respect for they speak for all of us.
To all voters, Selamat Mengundi.
