KUALA LUMPUR – With voting day for the long-awaited 15th general election (GE15) just tomorrow, voters here wait with bated breath to cast their ballots for a new government.
It appears that as polling stations are readied for operations, citizens are keener than ever, with many taking the opportunity to attend campaign events in person instead of tuning in online.
This was evidenced by the huge crowd numbering around 2,000 at a Pakatan Harapan (PH) rally here last night, with several attendees approached by The Vibes sharing their anxieties and cautious optimism for the nation’s future.
For housewife Nina, 27, polling day will be her chance to play her part in ensuring that her 10-month-old daughter flourishes in a stable and harmonious nation as she grows older.
What mother doesn’t want the best for their child? We need a government that is free from corruption and can truly take care of the people,” she said when met at the sidelines of the event held at the Bandar Tun Razak area.
She also took issue with the way PH’s opponents have featured religious rhetoric in their campaigns, lamenting how such comments only serve to divide the people, contrary to the teachings of her Islamic faith.
“It’s dirty politics to attack people using religious sentiments.
“Nowhere in the Quran does it say that if we don’t back a certain party then we will go to hell,” she said, referring to a comment passed by Sik PAS Youth chief and preacher Shahiful Nasir last week.
Shahiful had asserted then that voters would “go to hell” if they voted for PH or Barisan Nasional
(BN) in GE15, inciting public backlash and criticism from PH chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who condemned PAS for demeaning Islam.
Nina, who is a Bandar Tun Razak voter and had attended the rally with her husband and child, also praised PH’s candidate for the parliamentary seat, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is a familiar face to residents here.
“There’s only one day left (for campaigns) and I have yet to see even the shadow of the other candidates (for Bandar Tun Razak),” she claimed.
She added that her main worry, for now, is the rising cost of goods as she feels the pinch of inflated prices whenever she does the grocery shopping for her household.
“We’re spending a lot more now than we ever used to. Whenever I go to the market these days, (the value of) RM10 feels like RM1.”
A former deputy prime minister, Dr Wan Azizah will be contesting for the Bandar Tun Razak federal seat in a three-cornered fight against BN’s Chew Yin Keen and the incumbent, Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar.
The crowd at the rally had begun gathering as early as 8pm. Despite the programme being delayed by over an hour due to a brief power outage, the throng of people did not dwindle and instead grew even more in numbers.
‘Government must know our struggles’
A Segambut voter who requested to be known as Alan, 32, said that the massive turnout should be taken as a positive sign for the coalition as voters are willing to sacrifice their free time to hear out PH’s proposals.
He added that while his home remains unaffected by floods, his friends in Klang have not been so lucky, with some already suffering from rapidly rising water levels.
“Even with the floods, my friends (in Klang) said that they will find a way to come out and vote,” he said.
“They know that (voting) will be our only chance to get back the people’s mandate that was taken away from us.”
Besides that, contract worker Qoi, 29, said that she is excited to carry out her responsibility as a citizen by casting her vote, especially since she began building her career post-2018 general elections.
“When I was a student, I didn’t really feel affected by economic and political issues, but now that I’m working, I feel like the effort that I put in and the pay I receive do not align.
“I’m not blaming anyone, but a proper government should know our struggles,” she said, noting that besides this being her first time attending a rally, she is also keen to hear what PH is offering the people.
The attendees, who all said that they were looking forward to seeing Anwar in person, did not go home disappointed as the Tambun-hopeful arrived at the event with much fanfare about half an hour before campaign events were supposed to cease at midnight.
Accompanied by resounding chants of “reformasi!” from the crowd and the chorus of rapper Altimet’s Aduh Malaysia over speakers, Anwar’s walk up to the stage was highlighted with a brief fireworks display while people who had initially lingered across the road from the campaign tent rushed forward to catch a glimpse of the PH prime ministerial candidate.
Perhaps due to time constraints, Dr Wan Azizah did not speak during the event although it was held in the constituency that she is eyeing.
Instead, the event ended with a rousing speech from Anwar, her husband and PKR president who had earlier praised his wife for her dedication to upholding the reformasi agenda upheld by PKR while he was in prison.
Anwar has had two stints in prison, from 1999 to 2004 for corruption and sodomy after he was sacked by then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and again for a second siding charge from 2015 to 2018, when he received a royal pardon.
Additionally, Anwar seemed to issue a warning to BN component party MCA, expressing his bafflement over how the Chinese-based party could work together with BN and its linchpin Umno.
“Chinese people should have more dignity. The entire concept of BN and Umno is to prioritise the Malays and their rights. Be careful, one day the keris might eat its master,” he said, ostensibly a reference to the signature traditional weapon part of Umno’s logo. – The Vibes, November 18, 2022
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