Your vote has never been this important

IN six days, Malaysians go to the polls.

The 15th General Election (GE15) is shaping up to be a close fight among the three major coalitions – Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional.

Small parties will likely be kingmakers – and that’s about all anyone can say about how this election will go, unlike in previous elections.

While few expected the shocking results of GE14 in 2018, even then analysts had at least expected the Opposition to do much better than previously.

But in this election no one knows which way the wind is blowing.

The fact that there are 945 candidates vying for Parliament’s 222 seats could have something to do with the uncertainty – in a historic first, every single seat will be contested by multiple candidates.

The competition is so heated, in fact, that bad behaviour began within days of the campaign period starting last Sunday, with posters and flags of candidates torn down and defaced, and the cops having to issue stern warnings against dirty tactics.

When it’s this close, you know that every single vote counts like never before.

Over 21 million Malaysians are eligible to vote – again, a historic number – thanks to Undi18 lowering the voting age and automatic voter registration being instituted.

But surveys are saying Malaysians are suffering from voter apathy.

Is anybody surprised? After going through three prime ministers since 2020, after all the party-hopping, power plays and politicking, we’re all tired.

But we must buckle up and exercise our right to vote in this crucial election.

It’s a right that some countries fought bloody wars over; we were luckier than most and negotiated for it, though it took a long, difficult time.

This is not the year to waste this power that we have in our hands.

The political parties, too, must do their part to get voters to the ballot boxes.

An estimated half a million Malaysians from Sabah and Sara-wak work in Peninsular Malaysia – with flight tickets being pretty expensive, some might not be able to go home to vote.

And in some remote seats, voters might not have the means to travel a few kilometres to polling stations because you need 4WD vehicles or boats to get anywhere in these places and villagers might not have access to them.

The weather is worrying many too, with the Malaysian Meteorological Department predicting continuous rain in a number of states.

And then there’s the fear of Covid-19, which is resurging slightly because of the Omicron subvariant XBB.

This is when political parties should join NGOs in finding solutions to move people.

Don’t just talk up your manifestos, find practical ways to help voters: Arrange transport, whether by air, road or river; get boats ready in urban areas in case of floods (which are almost a certainty); give out free masks and remind voters to wear them to keep themselves safe.

Candidates, this is your chance to show how you can help the people that you supposedly want to serve for the next five years.

And everyone, remember that every single vote really does count this time. Make sure you go out to vote on Nov 19.