I am said to be one of the 90's generation that contributed greatly towards swinging the votes to ensure the Opposition wins the recent Malaysian elections. We are mostly first time voters and we changed the course of history. The majority of us are the racial minority of this country who is fed up with Barisan National's bamboozlement of the rakyat, particularly the younger generations who were rapidly growing up in tighter economy.
In my parent's time, in their mid-20's, they were able to get married, afford a house and buy a car with minimal loan on their backs.
At the same age or slightly older, people of my generation were still doing minimum wage jobs for the work of 10 people, and still living with our parents with hand-me-down cars. I did not get to enjoy the independent luxury that my parents enjoyed.
I am even unmarried because of this. I have nothing on my name simply because I have nothing on me to start a family of my own. My parents savings started dwindling as the country's economy was getting tighter and every penny needs to be pinched away before being spent on something. In order to buy a car, my sister and father had to save up downpayment for almost a year. My country could not provide free education to her citizens because there simply wasn't any money to spare.
Rapidly growing economy also led to me overspend on things that shouldn't cost what they cost. I am still living with my parents in a very comfortable apartment in Kuala Lumpur and a raggedy old Perodua car in constant need of repair.
Jibby and Rosmah were not the only reason, not are they the catalyst to Malaysia's rapidly dwindling GDP.
Jibby and Rosmah were part of a legacy of decades of money swindling, money laundering and money siphoning. This was a case where their political party had simply been in power too long and became so drunk in power that they usually resort to dirty tactics to ensure they're in power.
People affiliated with Barisan National was paid well. The citizen's tax often went straight to their pockets. They were riding on other people blood and sweat. It was this karma that I believe had come back biting in their respective rotten asses.
BN's notoriety gained when Malaysia was at her worst economic state, self proclaimed
clown First Lady Rosmah Mansor was seen flaunting her baubles and trinkets worth millions. Leaders of the country parading around like peacocks while the people are barely able to eat? What's going on here?
Further heartbreak when a trustfund cum investment bank meant for the people was seemingly going straight into the ex-premier's coffers. Luxuries worth millions was seen flaunted in public by this heinous duo.
I think it was the boiling point that slowly brewed to a full-blown explosion.
During the GE13, which was slyly held on
May 13th, people of my generation had hoped then to make a change. But history would repeat itself as it had decades before, where dirty politics prevailed: blackouts, rigged votes, premarked votes all played a role. BN knew it was on a losing streak so resorted to this shameful act.
At this point, people were wholly fed up. We're fed up with being bamboozled, fed up being made the sheep and donkey that's supposed to take this abuse.
We took to social media to encourage the youth, who would come of age to become eligible voters to make wise decisions that'll not only impact their lives, but the lives of the children they would have.
The youth especially was absolutely fed up. A small majority who were staunch BN supporters from the older days also experienced a change of heart, seeing how it also effects their financial lives (pensions that never kept up with the economic demands etc).
Social media was an absolutely pivotal platform to send out messages of reform. People my age were constantly calling out for people who are eligible to vote to register themselves as voters. People took to social media to make commentary of speculations on the future if BN wins again, and political commentators wrote independent essays on the importance of coming GE14.
That miraculously worked, methinks. GE14 saw the highest number of youth voters. People who were abroad insisted to fly from wherever they are to contribute.
Yet on the day of the election, we still saw foul play being carried out. The usual rigged votes, pre-marked votes, paid runners who are instructed to slip in BN votes into the boxes, blackouts and even going to the point of refusing to sign off counted ballots where high number of opposition (now government) votes won. The youth of Malaysia braved any possible violence and riots and fights and went down the fields to ensure the Elections Committee (EC) do their job of being a neutral party. IN Johor, a "riot" (which was a peaceful stand-off) took place when the EC refused to sign off the counted ballots because Pakatan Harapan (PH) was the majority. This incident would repeat itself in many parts of Malaysia, to varying degrees. I was up until 12am to keep up until sleep took the better of me and I had work the next day.
In Whatsapp, people were updating live events of all this caboodle. In one of the Tamil schools in Setia Alam, there was another stand off because the EC staffs adamantly refused to sign off the balllots. PH has won majority. Indian
boys in the nearby area had gone down and made a fuss. Rakyat prevailed. Trust in #machamagic
A video footage circulated in Whatsapp showing a POLICE CAR carrying black bags of premarked votes for BN being stopped by the rakyat. Again our #machamagic came into work who broke the trunk of the police car and destroyed the rigged votes on the spot. I have never been more proud of my Indian machas.
Another video footage showed the rakyat forming a line linking hands to stop a police car carrying rigged votes.
Just writing about the power of the people makes me tear up because when the people has had enough, we're a force to be reckoned with!
The first time in history where the rakyat POLICED the police!
And other countries could not believe that we actually won peacefully! We did it without bloodshed and loss of life. It was the most peaceful transition of power the world has seen it. And I am here to watch history happen, WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!
I am lucky that my polling station was just minutes away. I walked after breakfast and lined up after the necessary registration. It took me all of 30 minutes to cast my vote. UBAH!
My polling station was peaceful, well organized and the ushers were polite. All smiles! =)
I am excited, giddy and absolutely thrilled on what this new government has had to offer.
