Voting Power

Election fever is upon us again! It's not that far off in the future - March 8th to be exact - thus perfecting the art of persuasion to the masses is imperative for most demagogues.

Fawning and name-dropping are other forms of tactical moves to be expected during this electoral run-up. Not to mention, promises that are going to dazzle you to submission and most likely confound you later on with their incongruities.

So let's the emotive, sugarcoated speeches begin!

The last time Malaysia went to the voting booths was in 2004, March 21st. I had to look up the date on the Net but I remember it as vividly as yesterday since it was my first time ever going to the poll. And to make things more 'interesting', I went to my assigned poll station in Shah Alam - one of the civic halls near to my old house - with my twin sister who was heavily pregnant with her first baby at the time.

And solely based on the excuse that my sister was with child, the SPR people let us cut the long queue to cast our vote in a whiz! When we arrived at the front entrance of the hall to the quizzical looks of others, a microphone boomed out calling our respective IC numbers and simultaneously confirming our presence. Then, an official pointed us each to an unmarked voting booth. The moment I entered the small enclosure I took my sweet time making sure that I am ticking it the so-called 'ethically correct' way lest it would be marked as spoilt, by the keenest of critics.

It was surreal standing there in the deafening silence of your booth, feeling as if the weight of the world is on your shoulder.

Exiting the hall with my sister, I heaved a huge sigh of relief that my citizen duty was done and over with. And whichever the vote might sway, I was glad that I finally got the chance to make my vote, well, count. Literally and figuratively.

The SPR letter summoning me for this year's electoral process in Shah Alam came last week to our former home address. I honestly don't know why my constituency still resides in my old hometown. Do I need to fill an SPR form for a change of address to Ampang?

My eldest sister still lives at the family house though. Perhaps that IS the reason why?

Come March 8th, my husband most definitely will send me for this round of election since he has yet to register himself as a voter! The opportunity to register back in Kuching failed to materialise whenever we're home since it's either the Raya season or other public holidays. Frankly speaking, I don't think one is in the mood to seek out where to register when holidaymaking is the ONLY thing in one's mind! Luckily, Kuching has held its election two years back, which gives him some leeway to register for the next one and/or to file for a change of address.

As they are going to name the candidates this February 24th, I sincerely pray that my candidate of choice doesn't give me bad vibes. If not, I might likely be swinging my vote! Yes, it all comes down to the tried-and-true woman intuition. Haha!

Happy Voting Malaysia. May the electoral process go on without any hitches!