Malaysian election is around the corner. It is hard to not to think about it, since it is where my home is. But on the other hand, it is a difficult task to talk about it. Recently I have been watching many videos on Youtube about the coming election and recent political news, trying to get as much information as I can. It is not like I'm going to give a speech about my opinions in public, and it is not like my opinions on this election are going to matter or what. But simply as a citizen, I think we should get informed and educated.
So, the questions I get are often very simple, like "BN or Pakatan Rakyat is better?" I feel like I should have a look at my own background first before even giving my opinions on those questions. I come from Penang, a state dominated by Chinese culture and a stronghold of the opposition party, in particular DAP. Where I used to stay, ethnicity ratio between Chinese and other ethnics is almost 9 to 1 (I am not sure about this number, but at least I feel so, so this is just my approximation). I studied in a SRJKC and SMJKC, which means schools with almost 100% Chinese. I rarely travel to other states in Malaysia. The states I had visited are Perak, Kedah (but only places near Penang like Kulim, Sg. Petani), Selangor (of course, because the capital is there), N. Sembilan, Melaka and also Perlis. I had been to the east coast of the peninsula, but only just to take the ferry to Pulau Redang, so merely passing by. Don't even mention Sabah and Sarawak, haven't been there, yet.
PLKN is really one of the best things that happened to me, though at first I was a little upset when I found out I was selected. My experience there really had opened my eyes, as I get to see a bigger picture of my own country. This is where I got to know most of my Malay friends that I keep in contact until this day. A large proportion of them are from Kelantan, a place I knew so little about. All I knew about Kelantan and Terengganu came from rumours and clichés from people around me. I mean, I might had even knew Hatyai, Thailand better than these states in my own country. They had been a mystery to me until I knew these wira and wirawati from Kelantan.
The silly me was so amazed when I met Chinese from Kelantan for the first time. I was trying hard to keep the awe to myself and act cool. There were so many questions in my head I wanted to ask them. I am not sure how the other people living in Penang would react if they were in my position, but it was certainly awesome for me. I used to wonder how Chinese live there. I used to think about Kelantan as if it is a region in Middle East. This is exactly the misconception among people I know in Penang. After I get to know them, I think they are one of the coolest people I know, cause they fluent in both Chinese and Malay with a cool Kelantan accent, which is something I can't do until this day.
All the blah blah about my experience in PLKN is to show that how little I know about Malaysia, and how my point of view is so restricted. We are deeply influenced by the people around us, especially teenagers, whose some are constantly under peer pressure, and very easily moved by trends. When I was still Penang, people around me always talk things about other ethnics which are not necessarily true, sometimes even very wrong at many levels. I won't talk about these things here though, if really want to know, just listen again Negarakuku from Namewee. I think why it was such a hit in the community surrounding me, partly because he said things that many of us (I mean me and my friends in Penang) want to but wouldn't and shouldn't say out publicly. I think those things he said, some are true, but often overgeneralized. His opinions and critics based on ethnics and religions are suicidal. I mean these stuffs are too sensitive and will backfire if handled incorrectly.
I consider myself lucky to be able to stand a little bit outside the box and look at the issue, and all the happenings in Malaysia. So, am I wiser than people living in Malaysia on these political subjects? Certainly not. After all the blah blah above, my point is hoping all of us would be a smarter citizen, get educated and get as well informed as possible. Don't simply overgeneralized things like Namewee, and think before saying whatever you want to say. Don't simply share some viral videos on social network, check whether they are trustworthy, and their sources. I say this because I don't want my Facebook page spammed by politic related stuffs.
Malaysia is a relatively young nation. There are still alot to learn, both the leaders and the citizens. Politicians should also slowly get rid of the God complex, stop saying how perfectly their policies are going to work if they are elected like what Tim Harford said (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5wCfYujRdE). At the same time, I think the word democracy is so overrated. I bet many Malaysians still think that democracy is the best form of government ever. Many say the word without knowing the real meaning behind it. I believe democracy is not the best form of government yet, it is just the less horrible one for the moment. I don't think I totally understand democracy yet, but its flaws are undeniable.
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