Today I met a friend for lunch who grumbled on about Opposition’s lost in Ijok. She’s one of the volunteer for the by-election, helping out the Opposition candidate, to be exact.
I recalled the by-election in amusement. I thought Ijok was a yesterday’s story and after a few jokes on sewing machine and tractors, I said this to her
“That’s yesterday news, babe. Buat apa nak dikenang?”
But of course, being directly involved in the process, she can’t simply push aside the incidents that took place during the election. She needed to reminisce and get sentimental about the tragedy that befall Ijok. She knew that it’s harmless to bitch about both the Opposition and Ruling Government to me because I don’t trust partisan politics at all. Statistically put, I might be ticked off as “potentially a gone case” if the BN or Opposition canvassing volunteer conduct their voters survey.
To wait for five years before making a statement about how shitty your country is, is… well…shitty. I dedicate this to those who I absent-mindedly referred to as election junkies. I know some would say, that is better than just becoming part of the silent apathetic majority (SAMs) who didn’t’ care at all. I say that’s wrong. That’s even worse because you put your faith on democracy on a once-in-every-five-year event which later , will only cements the powers that be’s political existence in the system, whilst the SAMs do not waste their time on hoping AT ALL. We might think that one nice fat cross on the ballot paper will ensure that democracy will be alive and kicking. The sad news is, democracy will not survive but rather in state of dying for the next five years before it will be put on the stage show again for a political drama. With such vicious cycle, election would become a dictation. Pilihanraya then will be “Takde Pilihan”
Like I said “Buat apa nak dikenang?” Bring out your pen or painting brush, write or draw democracy today. Raise your hand in the lecture hall and scared the shit out of your lecturer with some open-ended questions, and resurrect democracy on campus again. Dumped your abusive husband the next time he hits you, and teach him that in a democratic marriage, he has to learn to accept a “No” for answer. Stop telling your kids what you want them to be/do and let them own their own space and self.
“My..my...aren't preggies preachy...” My tensed friend retorted after I told her that I would rather believe the fact that I can lose my weight tomorrow than believing that change can only come through electoral process. Power might transit. But quality of society would be just as stagnant if we think democracy works once in every five years.
Lagi kelakar when a friend declared that he can’t wait for the next election to perform his “undi rosak” ritual. See? To be "civilly disobedient" also must wait for the next election ka? Don’t make David Henry Thoreau weeplah geng!
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