Our Voice #GE14
Basically how my election week went. |
Just
over a month ago, the seemingly impossible happened. Our country had
seen new light, and history was made. Some may have looked at it merely
as the success of the people toppling down a ruling party of 61 years,
but one thing most of us can definitely agree on is that it gave us the
hope for a better tomorrow and a more profound belief in democracy.
Throughout the month of May, this country has been embellished by flags
of various colours. Green, electric blue, baby blue, white, red, you name
it. More and more political campaigns and talks taking place here and
there closer to the anticipated date, occupying the headlines of
international as well as local media outlets, all in the spirit of the
14th Malaysian General Election.
With
113 out of 222 parliamentary seats won, Pakatan Harapan, led by our
former prime minister of 22 years, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, secured the
simple majority, hence a new government was formed. A few minutes to
10:00 pm local time on May 10th, Tun Mahathir was once again sworn in as
the Malaysian Prime Minister by Yang
di-Pertuan Agong. The king of comebacks has made his remarkable comeback
after 15 years of retirement, this time to become the 7th prime
minister of Malaysia. The swearing
ceremony kept on getting delayed which obviously worried a lot of
people. Nevertheless, it went smoothly, bringing relief to all the
Malaysians who have anxiously been waiting to witness this simple and
brief yet historical ceremony from anywhere they are in the world. Even
my cats were sat in front of the tv to watch Tun M being sworn in ok.
Mummy showing off her inked finger lol. |
This
election was also an election of many firsts. Aside from being the
first time in Malaysian history where the opposition party overthrew the
government, we also elected the youngest member of parliament [A WORLD
RECORD!], a law student who is only 22!!! His first election as a voter
was also the election that secured him a seat in the Malaysian
parliament #youthpower . Our deputy prime minister, Dato' Seri Dr.
Wan Azizah is the first female holding that pose in all Malaysian
history. Again, not tryna rub it on y'all's faces but, #femininepower
!!!!!! Like I said, these brought us hope. It proved that with the unity
of the people, the impossible can easily be possible. Now, we have a
government body that is no longer dominated only by men who are 50 years
of age and above, well done.
Social
media played a vital role in spreading the message across
every corner. You see, many of us are still underage, but that does not
stop us from having our own political opinions and aspirations for the
country, or make it invalid. The least we could do was spread this
message of change, and in a
rapidly globalising society like this, what better way to do it than
through social media? Throughout this whole election season, twitter,
instagram were all flooded by postings of young Malaysians expressing
their thoughts on the state our country is in, and our hope for its
future. Limiting our capabilities and controlling our voices from being
heard
due to our "lack of experience" would only withhold this country from
growth and development. We Millennials, I gotta say are hella woke, don't
you dare argue with me on that one.
Surpassing
any sorts of racial boundaries, Malaysians had unite in
ensuring that change was possible. It is this mindset that may take us
forward as a nation. This new government is just the first
step in attaining a better Malaysia, and in order to for us to progress,
it is not only in the hands of the government leaders but it is up to
us as the people. If we ourselves choose to cling onto backward
mindsets, we would never move forward. It is the risk taking that allows
us to achieve the possibilities that awaits us. I mean, it must've been a hard decision to make for many,
especially
for the older generations, to let go of the party that has been ruling
ever since we first got our independence in 1957 from the British colonisers.
Barisan Nasional without a doubt has helped countless number of
Malaysians, hence it wasn't easy for one to simply turn their back
against it in order to give another party a chance to prove itself. It's had many
remarkable rulers that this country is forever indebted to.
At
the end of the day, as Malaysians, we all want nothing but the best
for our beloved home. Being underage kinda sucks, but I'll be voting
next election,
woohoo! Whatever it is, I'm proud to be able to say that I have
witnessed such groundbreaking history. So so proud of all eligible
voters who actually walked out their houses, stand in line for god knows
how long
in order to have their voice heard. The impossible may only happen when
there's unity amongst the people. It's the 21st century, any
marginalising and segregation between people due to religion or skin
colour should've been left waaaayyy behind of us. So old fashioned man,
we're all about equality and unity this century. After all, that's what
makes our country unique.
Here's to a better tomorrow.
Here's to a better tomorrow.
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