This sense of detachment however, rarely lasts for long. Flashes of awareness creep in every so often. In one particular moment, this detachment ceased after I opened a letter in the mail from one of the coalitions and this was (naturally) followed by a conversation about the election. In the 2008 election, I remember standing outside of the voting center, observing the voters chatting over drinks at a nearby stall – simply excited for being there, unaware of the winds of change that came later. I was too young to remember or care about the elections prior to 2008. Yet, here I am in 2013, old enough to vote, reluctantly aware of my responsibility and somewhat keen to remain detached from all the hoo-ha.
As the conversation on elections unfolded, I realized how personal these elections can be for some people. Ethno-nationalism, though its influence is waning, is still very much alive. To some, losing to the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat (PR), means losing the right to special privileges that was only meant to be a temporary form of aid in the first place. Losing to the PR meant losing ‘their’ land. Personally for me, these are not valid reasons to vote for any party. The question of ‘race’ is irrelevant to me. The government of my choice, would not spend too much money on banners, poster, and flags, to be plastered on every possible surface that is visible to voters. The government of my choice, will help those in need regardless of one’s race or religion. The government of my choice, shall not be afraid of facing tough questions from those who had voted for them. The government of my choice, shall not interrupt my Tom & Jerry mornings on the train.
On another note, in this era of technology and social media, it was refreshing to see some old school methods in both coalitions’ campaigns. One day a truck went around my housing area blasting the information for a campaign talk through a megaphone perched on top of it; the next morning outriders practically woke up the whole housing area as they honked their way through, carrying flags of course. It serves as a reminder that the ‘old-school’ is still relevant in today’s politics – something easy to forget when you live in a city immersed with technology. Interaction in real life is still more effective than a tweet; a handwritten letter is still more effective than a text message.
In the aftermath of the election, a ‘tsunami’ of rumours has spread wide and far around Malaysia. This includes the blame game and the subsequent accusations threatened to destabilize Malaysia’s harmony. But true Malaysians have come out in force to reject racist viewpoints. I have not lost any friends and I have not made new enemies. At the end of the day, it is always important to have opposing sides – not for theatrical politics, but for a more well-informed public, for better information and counter-information in our country. I want a thinking society where we can agree to disagree. Maybe I am too much of an idealist but I am optimistic for Malaysia.
