PARLIMENT AND ELECTIONS

THE FEVER sets to reach its high point. The temperature starts to go up and it will not ease till late next month possibly. Now who amongst us will feel the temperature rising?. Surely not you and I who are bystanders to the political game. 

The political gambits and the aspirants for the hot parliamentary and state seats throughout the nation would obviously be in circles, having sleepless nights dreaming and aspiring with prayers and players for their names to be chosen and listed on the choice lists of candidates. For those sure of their candidacy, though few in number they can rest assured and rightly have made their plans and strategies already. For the others it will be battle royal once the nomination lists are up and the polling starts.

One has only to fall back to the last few months when Dato Najib the Prime Minister goes all out to campaign for the Barisan National. He traveled all over the country, giving out what was best and desired. It was no less an inspiring effort for his party and the community he wished to serve. Now the rest of the aspirants will have to aspire to that level of campaigning within a limited time frame. Nevertheless we may therefore look forward to many strategies being employed. The flags that now adorned the roads, bridges, fly-overs, buildings etc of the various political parties are a start to the race of winning the hearts of the people. No less the newspapers will play the greater parts.

For many of us we may look back at the previous general elections and remember our participation or otherwise. How and what was the nature of our contributions then?  Looking back they were the years that play meaningful parts in the country's history and development deriving what we have or have not today.

Year                      Government %         Opposition %

1959                            71.15%                             28.85

1964                         85.58                         14.42

1969                         65.97                         34.03

1974                         87.66                         12.34

1978                         84.42                         15.58

1982                         85.71                         14.29

1986                         83.62                         16.80
1990                         70.55                         29.45
1995                         84.38                         15.62
1999                         76.68                         23.32
2004                         90.41                           9.59
2008                         63.06                         36.94   

I remember being on the staff of the election commission during the earlier election years especially in 1959, 1964 and 1969. The later being as Assistant Returning Officer in Baling Kedah and as Presiding Officer in  1964. Thus I would believe I had a closer look at how the election machinery worked at least on the election day. You my friends would no doubt have your own experience to talk of. In the later years of course we entered the polling stations to caste our  votes. Paying close attention in the evenings when the counting of ballot papers reached their climax. Resting the next day as other citizens when the results were known.

The above para was written last week when news of the election day for 2013 was rumored to be announced. However it passed without any announcement made. None the less right now 15 April 2013 and today Thursday 17 April 2013 the candidates for the comming election have been made known though certain parties have yet to name their candidates.    

Looking at the above election results for the previous decades and more, one may not run far from taking a good guess less the communities or electorates decide to part from the norms. The candidates chosen to participate all seems capable, youthful and experienced. Will the electorates make their best choice? We await the results early 6 May 2013. Unfortunately we will not be able to cast our valuable votes as earlier commitment  and program would see us being away from the country.

Just like other Malaysians who loved the country and what it has given us for the last half century and more we would like to see it progressing and above all left in peace and stability. Any government that can assure that is welcomed to carry the burden and go forward to achieve a fully developed MALAYSIA come 2020. Happenings in many other countries that want to move into new directions have so far failed and left the countries in catastrophic state  Surely we would be too intelligent to allow that to happen.