The power of every vote

AN election is not just about political parties and leaders. It is about People’s Power. Still, many believe that their votes do not really make a difference. How wrong they can be. Democracy is also about the importance of a single vote.

The vote gives power to the powerless as argued by Vaclav Havel, the first elected president of the Czech Republic. The power to vote is a huge responsibility. An election assures democratic governance. It enables voters to select leaders and to hold them accountable for their performance in office.

The 15th General Election isn’t supposed to be an anomaly. It should be just another routine in the democratic process. But then, no election is like any other.

In 2018, for the first time, mighty Barisan Nasional, the coalition that had been ruling the nation for six decades, lost.

Pakatan Harapan was in but not for long. Not unlike Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”, there were episodes of betrayal, defections and back-stabbing that led to the fall of Pakatan. But that was not the end of the story. Then came the “Sheraton Move”. It didn’t end well anyway. Malaysia had three governments in less than four years.

So, this GE is not normal. To say that this election is unpredictable, most anticipated and potentially intriguing is an understatement. Pakatan is trying to regain the trust of the people who voted for them in 2018. They learned a lot about the need to keep to their promises for reforms and that a manifesto is in fact a document carved on more than just stones.

Some Umno leaders rattled by the jailing of its former president allegedly are hoping that regaining power might change the judicial narratives in their favour.

Who would have imagined that prior to the dissolution of Parliament, DAP was the party that had the most number of seats (42) in the Dewan Rakyat. Even PKR was left with 36 after many defections. Umno had 38 (from a total of 43 for Barisan) while Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had 19 and PAS 18.

In short, it is an accepted fact that no party will have a strong majority this time, just like the last election.

But what is more important is that we are living in a totally different world now, and marching, albeit slowly, towards maturity in politics, as what happened to Indonesia. Perhaps the country is heralding a new era in our political construct. Hopefully, the political culture is shifting for the better. Political expediency based on merely race and religion, the bedrock of our political system for many years, is now being challenged.

The new generation of voters is not shackled by aged-old prejudices. They have their priorities and wants. They are looking at a future where they want to have a say and be part of the decision-making process. They want their aspirations met by those in power. The dynamics are changing.

Political stability, if it is an excuse to abuse power, to trample on human rights and to tolerate corruption, will not be tolerated.

The notion that the government’s might is also the leaders’ right is gone. People are fully aware of the encumbrances of the past. The poor need help. But help is not just about giving a bag of rice with a party logo. It is about long-term planning to eradicate poverty regardless of race. People can’t live with any more financial scandals and they have every reason to be disgusted by leakages.

There is so much at stake for the political leaders in this election. No Umno leader is being scrutinised as much as Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. This is a litmus test of his leadership during one of the most tumultuous times in the party’s history.

For Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the wait to become the Prime Minister has been far too long. It’s now or never.

For Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, losing his own seat in Pagoh is not improbable. His party’s future hinges on its performance this time.

Anthony Loke is the new man at the helm of DAP, and it is critical for him to do well as a statement of acceptability. Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman must ensure Muda makes a mark or his fledgling party would be in jeopardy.

Last but now least, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is offering himself again to contest in Langkawi. He is 97. By the time another general election is held, he will be 102.

Need I say more?

Johan Jaaffar was a journalist, editor and for some years chairman of a media company, and is passionate about all things literature and the arts. And a diehard rugby fan.

The views expressed here are entirely his own.