Polls: Same ol' circus, same ol' monkeys
Kariena Abdullah
4:05pm Fri Feb 27th, 2004
featured in Malaysiakini.com

There is a buzz of excitement going around at the moment - everyone is excited about the prospect of a general election being called soon. Politicians are busy preparing for their campaigns, newspapers are full of stories of potential candidates and jockeying for seats while the public is busy gossiping in coffee shops and stalls.

In Malaysia, elections have always had a festive feel to it. It is a moment of celebration and excitement - rather like a big carnival coming to town every five years or so. It has never been a moment for serious reflection about the decision-making process that we are about to embark on, that is, electing the people who will represent our voice in the country's highest legislative power.

It is little wonder why people are excited about the upcoming general election. The fun part about the general election here is not so much the electoral process and the voting, but rather it is the street party atmosphere that is prevalent in events leading up to election day.

Every Malaysian enjoys the endless speculation about who is running against whom, who will be contesting in which seat, who is out of favour and will not be running, who's going to be the 'giant killer' in this elections etc. The media, both mainstream and the alternative, are full of stories on the negotiations that are going on regarding seats allocation. Somewhere amid all the rumours and gossip, political issues are ignored or are lost in translation.

Who cares!

Let's not blame the political parties. In truth, who among us really care about issues, manifestos and agendas?

We are apt to blame the opposition parties for 'failing' to come up with clear policies and manifestos for the elections - but we never demand the same standard from the ruling parties, just because we know they will offer pretty much the same fare they have been offering since independence.

Indeed, the Malaysian elections have never been about issues, agendas and manifestos. It's never been about policy formulation, policy reversal and policy at all. Going to the polls in Malaysia is like buying a ticket to the big carnival that's coming to town, even though you know the circus will still feature the same monkeys and the same elephants they did five years ago.

Someone told me that he is excited about the upcoming elections because it is the final frontier of our democracy - it is the one thing which offers a semblance of a democratic institution. "It is the one right we have which the ruling government cannot deny us - the right to vote without fear or favour!" he proudly proclaimed.

But that is not strictly true. Malaysians do not have a right to vote - in fact, we have some of the toughest rules with regards to our right to vote. Where else in the world do you have to register with the Election Commission (EC) at least six months before you are finally recognised as a voter? I had no right to vote in the last elections because my registration was not processed. My friend could not vote because at 21 minus one month, she was judged to be too young to decide on her representatives. Most countries allow people to vote at 18.

'Without fear or favour' is not strictly true either. Malaysia is not known for free and fair elections. Election irregularities have often been reported but never acted upon. Every time the carnival comes to town, terms like money politics, phantom voters, fake red identity cards and mysterious postal votes will crop up - undermining our faith in this final frontier of democracy in this country.

The EC was set up as an independent body to facilitate the smooth running of a 'free and fair election'. Its job is to monitor political campaigning, putting in strict guidelines to ensure that it is free and fair. So, yes, they advised the Barisan Nasional not to put up political posters before an election date is announced.

But drive around anywhere in Kuala Lumpur today and you will see roads being repaired, often with a sign next to it which says 'Satu Lagi Projek Kerajaan Barisan Nasional' (Another BN project). That is one more reason I love the elections. From today until polling day, I can rest assured that any public complaint I have with government-run agencies will be dealt with swiftly and effectively. Old buildings will be re-furbished and painted, the rubbish dump next to the school will finally be cleared up and traffic lights will finally be installed where they should be.

The poor, the sick, the homeless and orphans will have their plight heard on radio and TV - often with the BN MP in their area handing out donations and gifts to them. We will sympathise with them and applaud the BN for their humanitarian concern.

Opening act

After all, who says that the BN practices cronyism and corruption? Look at what they did with Eric Chia and Kasitah Gadam. The government has no qualms about charging people for corruption, no matter what their standing in society. Of course, the fact that they are only being charged now, maybe a couple of weeks before election time, despite committing their alleged crimes eons ago, shows that this 'performance' has been timed perfectly to tie in with the carnival. Sort of like an opening act at an open-air concert.

If you have been contemplating on whether you should get an Astro subscription, now would be a good time to decide that you do. Or better still, you can unplug your TV altogether and put it in a box. For the next few weeks until election day, you will be bombarded with propaganda songs - accompanied by the smiling Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, S. Samy Vellu and Ong Ka Ting holding hands.

Furthermore if you are Kelantanese, you will have to brace yourself. The clips on RTM will refer to you as 'under-developed', 'PAS fanatics', 'Islamic extremists', 'easily influenced' and more. That is what you get for voting in the opposition in the last two elections. News of so-called political leaders joining or re-joining Umno will also feature prominently in the next few days, as it has been over the past weeks.

I guess what I am trying to say is that even this final frontier of democracy is really not democratic at all. Elections cannot be seen as a single institution that defines the democratic system, even though it may be the most important. The electoral process is more than just marking an X on your ballot paper - it is the freedom to make a choice on the people who will make the decisions that will affect your life. In order for that to happen, you need to be able to make your choice equipped with a free flow of information, safe in the knowledge that your choice cannot be manipulated and abused, and certain that the system is credible.

The Malaysian election does not embody any of these principles. At best, it is a futile and unnecessary exercise that reflect a dysfunctional democracy. At worst, it is a tool used by the ruling power to justify a system that is easily abused and manipulated. Either way, the elections cannot be used as a gauge on the political stance of Malaysians in general.

You do wonder in the end; if the carnival keeps coming to town every five years and keeps performing the same show and you cannot foresee any change, why get all excited? I guess it just goes to prove that Malaysians' political life is really very boring. Malaysians are very boring people in general. We like the same old circus and trapeze act. We do not complain enough about being fed pretty much the same entertainment every time the carnival comes to town.

So I guess I will celebrate my first time voting by voting for change. I will vote to try something new - something untried and untested, but please, at least something different from this same old circus act. It's always good to know that if things remain as boring as it does, the next time the carnival comes to town, I can always vote for another change.

And, if in the end my one vote does not make a difference in the overall scheme of things and the same monkeys and the same elephants come back, I will at least have the quiet satisfaction of knowing that I am not boring like the rest of the population. Hah.