Don't kill Malaysia's parliamentary democracy – please vote on Nov 19

As much as it may seem inconsequential or even futile, your vote still counts – it doesn’t just help determine who gets elected, it also increases the legitimacy of elections and pushes politicians to be accountable. — Filepic/The Star

So, where do you stand on this election? Are you among the mass of disenchanted voters who have lost faith in our system, who view politicians as mostly self-serving, untrustworthy and rapacious? Are you one of the disinterested, who doesn’t know and doesn’t care?

If so, please read on. Of course, hardened party stalwarts are welcome to read on too, but first, I’m appealing to the disenchanted and disinterested. I’ll cut to the chase: Don’t squander your vote.

As much as it may seem inconsequential or even futile, your vote still counts. It doesn’t just help determine who gets elected, it also increases the legitimacy of elections and pushes politicians to be accountable.

Giving up on your vote effectively tells politicians: “Hey, do as you want.” Because if people don’t bother voting, politicians won’t bother listening to them. Political apathy can kill a parliamentary democracy. Conversely, we’ve seen how a ruling government, in place for decades, could be changed when people flexed their political muscles in 2018.

Look, I know some deem the choices available uninspiring. But it is what it is. Besides, there are no perfect princes in politics (or in relationships) to save us. Voting is not like dating. Don’t bet on finding the “right one”. And don’t consider abstinence a valid strategy. Abstaining from voting still has consequences – it can return a ruling government, elevate an extremist party or decide the win in a marginal seat.

As has been said, voting is more like public transport. Just as you take the bus that gets you closest to your desired destination, look for a candidate going the closest along your way. But remember, you must take the bus.

Listen, I’m idealistic to a fault and have a weakness for rose-tinted glasses. But I have no illusions about the limits of parliamentary democracy. I also can’t see world leaders fixing the climate crisis. But that doesn’t mean I give up trying to save the planet. We simply can’t give up.

This election matters; it’s like none other before. For one, there is a wild card: the several million new young voters could swing the result. If you’re a young voter, we need to hear your voice. Older generations have been deciding your fate for too long, and frankly, they’ve left a big mess.

Take the 1MDB scandal. In June 2022, the former finance minister announced that the country still has a debt of RM32.8bil to pay off. The interest alone in 2022 is RM1.6bil. We will be paying 1MDB debts until 2037. What has been lost is just mind-boggling.

There are countless other corruption cases and misappropriation of government funds landing us with debts of many more billions – we even had disappearing ships. This is what we’re leaving the young. It’s simply outrageous. That’s why corruption must be a top election issue. We can’t vote back corrupt leaders. We will bankrupt the country.

This election is also unlike previous ones because we’ve got more parties, yet no clear winner can be predicted. Previously, for six decades, Barisan Nasional was always set to win. The political landscape has shifted.

We still badly need electoral reform, to address, for example, malapportionment. Some urban constituencies are several times larger than rural ones, meaning votes have less impact in larger constituencies. So we don’t have equal representation. Also, racism is still rife – it is institutionalise in our political architecture, as it is deeply systemic in the country.

But we are evolving, and for this, we should thank the people on the ground fighting for change. NGOs have fought for clean and fair elections for 15 years, rallying thousands of people in support. Real change happens on the ground, sometimes led by just one person – look at Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King or Greta Thunberg.

That’s why I have a certain respect for activist-politicians working on the ground. Politicians should stay close to the people rather than just their party. So I was deeply disappointed to see several activist-politicians who have made a clear contribution to the country dropped from their parties’ candidates lists.

So I too am one of the disappointed. Frankly, I’m sick to death of seeing politicians and political parties work for their own agendas rather than for the people.

But we have to press on. We have to demand accountability, either at the ballot box or elsewhere. Not voting means selling out on the country, it means falling in the same category as politicians who sold us out.

So put aside your disillusionment and disinterest, familiarise yourself with your candidate (that matters) and head to the polling station on Nov 19, 2022. Remember, you have a bus to catch.

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Human Writes columnist Mangai Balasegaram writes mostly on health but also delves into anything on being human. She has worked with international public health bodies and has a Masters in public health. Write to her at [e-mail]. The views expressed here are entirely the writer's own.