Time To Stand And Deliver

Most (hopefully) Malaysian eligible voters will be out tomorrow to vote in their choice of representative to administer our country for the next term. I count myself as one of them since this will be the second time that I will be voting for the future of my country. Hopefully I can figure out when I am suppose to go to cast my vote since they have changed the polling station I’m suppose to go to since the last general election. I don’t think that there will be much problems trying to figure that out since there bound to be a lot of party volunteers stationed around the area near my place who would be more than happy to ferry me to the polling station as they did in the last general election.

I am apolitical by choice. I despise participating in any political discussion and have know to leave the table if anyone starts a discussion on politics during meal times which I have always found highly distasteful. Despite professing my apolitical stance, it does not mean that I have no awareness of the political situation that we live in. I actually do know what is happening politic-wise and what is more important is that I make my own personal choice about it. I do not need blatantly desperate TV spots (the product of a whole PR team that will deserve to be fired for the over exuberance use of heavy handed messages) to sway me nor do I need empty rhetoric from people who really wish that they were in power instead of the other person. The more either side try to shove their message forcefully down my throat, the faster the bitter bile within me threatens to spill over.

I do not believe in voting in change for change sake. We need a clear vision and reasonable goals to strive to especially in the face of the global uncertainties surrounding us today. We need track records of achievements and not just people with the potential to do better but later never deliver them after they are elected. We need doers who actually come down to the ground level to do what is necessary to make sure that we continue to prosper as a nation. We do not need sayers who talk the talk but fail to walk the walk when they have received their responsibilities. We do not need leaders who says one thing when they were in the winning side then says the exact opposite when they find themselves out of favor and stranded in the opposite camp.

“With great power, comes great responsibility” - fan’s of the Spiderman comics knows this philosophy by heart. This statement is especially true in light of certain changes made by people in power who sometimes seems to forget who put them in power. You (the powers that be) are responsible for the running of the country to benefit the people and not your individual persons and cronies. Long have we seen how the benefits are not so equally distributed down the food chain down to the level of the people on the street and definite grumblings have already been voiced out in hopes that it would only be heard but also took notice of. We would definitely be watching if those voices have been heard and if those complaints will be addressed.

My dad gave me this gem when I first became aware of politics and their implications on my future. He told me,

“All politicians are pirates. The older pirates have already amassed their
plunder throughout the years, feel complacent and would be less likely to tax
heavily to increase their wealth. New pirates on the other hand would be hungry,
greedy for bounty and would only have gold in their eyes when they see you.
Think about who would you rather have around you and use that to decide who to
vote for”

No doubt it is not hard to figure out who he votes for in every general election! Regardless, I have taken that lesson to heart and have always used that idea when deciding on who I would vote for.

We need balance in our next administration.

We need a strong government who will have to navigate use safely in the uncertain waters of the current world economic and political seas. We do not need an inward looking government with policies that would see the nation contract from it’s position in the world both economically and politically.

We need a strong opposition front who would act as a check and balance mechanism to ensure continued transparency and accountability. We do not need an opposition front more interested in getting personal payback and loudly criticizing without offering rational constructive alternatives to be considered.

We need a stronger sense of ourselves as a united multicultural nation whose differences are recognized and celebrated equally. We do not need to have our nation to become more Arab than Arab just to prove that we are better than other people.

I will not be voting in change for change sake. Nor will I be voting for the continuation of status quo.

I will be voting for balance and moderation.

This is my choice.

Have you made yours?