Skip to main content

All Malaysians Have The Right To Vote

I read with revulsion in the Sun Newspaper the other day that the election commission of Malaysia, in response to civil societies insistence on the need for overseas Malaysian citizens to be accorded the right to vote; is considering imposing the rule that voting rights only be given to those expatriates that pay tax to the Malaysian government. This is just wrong on so many levels...

In a democracy, every adult citizen deserves the right to vote. This is a basic democratic right. No exceptions... no compromises. No discrimination regardless of gender, social status, wealth, political affiliation, sexual preference, religious or non religious... no exceptions whatsoever.

Once you start having exceptions, you put a nail in the heart of democracy. Every concession, every compromise, every exception is a piercing strike at the beating heart of democracy and freedom( I don't think democracy is the ultimate form of government, but that is for another write up). This idea that those that do not pay income tax don't deserve to vote is flawed.

If this is so, what about those that do not pay income tax, living in Malaysia? Is voting only reserved for the rich and the middle class? The poor do not deserve to vote? Are they voiceless in the democratic process? I am pretty sure expatriates overseas aren't exactly drowning in poverty(I certainly hope not). But to have one rule for them and another in Malaysia is not feasible, and legally problematic. There is something called the constitution.

This just screams nationalistic jingoism from the government; and let's face it, the election commission is a government organisation. For years, the incumbent government has been trying to force the perception that Malaysian citizens in foreign countries are  unpatriotic. Yes... most weren't happy with the way this nation was being run when they left for greener pastures(which in a lot of scenarios turned out to not be so green after all; Malaysians overseas had had to work almost doubly hard to start from scratch).

Just like us, they want only the best for Malaysia, and they want Malaysia to improve, not to stagnate in the cesspool of third world nations; moving backwards into a banana republic. I wont get into the dangers of nationalism in this write up(that's a completely different post), but to put it bluntly, it is a dangerous precept for all manner of atrocities and violations. Nationalism(or nationalistic fervour, however you put it) is the ugly doppelgänger that preys on the the working class while enriching the rich. Do not be fooled by it, there is nothing good about it.

Loving your country is fine, in moderation. Remember that we are all children of this planet. We have a responsibility to all humans. For the human brotherhood(and sisterhood). Oh well... that is enough of rambling for today. Fight this stupid idea please. ALL Malaysian citizens should be voting!



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The 'Lah' Syndrome - Why lah? Please lah! Don't Lah!

" Why lah ?" a friend inquired with complete terseness. The curt, simple and direct ' Why lah ' cut like a knife and  denotes a measure of bewilderment in the tone of it. I suppose a simpler 'Why?' would have sufficed, but the ' lah ' suffix adds more melodrama where there isn't any. Besides, the ' lah ' has been a staple of Malaysian language inflection for aeons, it is as immovable as a traffic congestion on the Federal Highway. It's not just a Manglish (or an English language) thing too... " Kenapa lah ?" shock, surprise, even a tinge of disappointment. The Malay language is not spared from the ' lah ' contagion. Often used as a suffix that accentuates the dramatic effect of a phrase, ' lah ' could be used in multiple ways: The classic ' Why lah ?' The added for conviction ' Come on lah !' The added for surprise and shock ' WTF lah! ' For added appeal or even being indignant  ...

A Few Words About The Art Of Communicating

I've recently moved onto a new phase in life. Apart from being in a relationship that's given me so much joy, I've also been given the opportunity to be a copywriter at an ad agency. It's been quite an experience so far. Writing for ads is a lot different than regular writing. While the purpose of writing remains the same; an art of communication, the approach and thought process is a lot different. More thought and time is given to the psychological effect of headlines and copy. The key points to watch out for: 1) What will the reader think? 2) Does it attract the reader? 3) How will they look at an ad? Ads have to be eye catching either by brilliant copy or amazing visuals or both(both preferably). Copywriters have to understand what catches the attention of a reader. What demands attention. What stands out from the crowd of mediocre ads that spout the same message. To always try to present your message in a new and exciting manner. To sell the product in its ...

An Update On The Blog

Some big plans ahead for beginning new blogs. Which means this will remain as my personal blog. But what is going to happen is that write ups on books will go on a new book blog. There'll also be a blog on food stuff which is really interesting... I promise you, you have not read anything quite like it. Not your average food blog. The movie reviews will remain on my personal blog here. I don't have any intention to write about movies in detail just yet. What to expect from this blog? Just my personal rants, thoughts, emotional outbursts(okay maybe not this, I save it for others). Write ups on the state of politics, which I admit, haven't done much of lately. It's not in any real state that is worthy of a comment to be frank. Oh and write ups about things in life that annoy me... like my write up on marriage . Keep an eye out on my new blogs which I'll be creating soon. Until next time, don't let the lemurs fight.