Malaysians have spoken: Cry freedom
Photo by Tim Parkinson
By KEITH LEONG
My heart is full, my friends. I cannot sleep and my heart is pounding. My mind is racing off in a thousand directions. No, I am not having a health incident caused by my age-old obesity. Any Malaysian who is aware of what has been going on in the past 24 hours will probably feel the same.
Even the early morning hours were exciting enough. I did what I had been waiting to do for almost 20 years: with my family, I went back to my old school and voted for the first time in my life. Like a free man. Like a citizen. Along with millions of my other fellow Malaysians. All free men and women. All citizens.
To all those who doubted whether or not voting would make a difference - look at the record turnout, at the large number of new voters - the bulk of which I dare say were youths like us.
To all those who were angst-filled over what democracy constituted - look at the Malaysians, from the youths who barely finished celebrating their 21st year to grizzled centenarians who came out to exercise their rights and responsibilities.
To all those who said that Malaysia is not ready for change, that it will always be a sectarian morass and never achieve politically maturity - look at the results tonight.
To those of you who say politics is a dirty, unviable game - look at the number of idealists who were voted in tonight.
To those of you who doubt Malaysia was, is and can be a democracy - look at the country tonight.
I would like to think that my fellow writers of theCICAK and myself had a role, however small and insignificant in bringing this small, but giant step forward for the nation about. But the fact is that there is still a lot of work to be done in order to bring about positive social, economic and political change to Malaysia.
There were the many millions who have not registered to vote, or who are unable to do so because they lack the means or knowledge to do so - we have to fight for them.
There were the many millions who were registered but could not or would not vote, some because of selfish employers who would not give them time off, or those who stayed at home out of pure apathy - we have to fight for them.
There are those who still wallow in sectarian ignorance or hostility - we have to fight for them so that they will change their minds.
And there are also those who will believe, or who will desire, that tonight is just a blip on the radar, a minor anomaly and that things will go back to “normal” - we have to fight for them so that they will change their minds most of all.
But more importantly, those who have been rocketed to power and those who have been kept in power, need to be reminded that Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious nation - we have to fight for them that they shall never forget this, and to their utmost to make sure this land becomes, if I might steal from the sublime oratory of Nehru, a noble household where all Malaysians may reside.
Tomorrow is only the beginning. Tomorrow is ours. Young people of Malaysia: continue to think, write and speak. Look beyond the race or the class of the person beside you and see the similarities that you share.
We have begun our leg of our people’s journey towards nationhood. We must not fail. We cannot fail.
The future is ours for the taking.
–
KEITH LEONG is a contributing writer for theCICAK.
Keith was born in Melaka, grew up in Damansara Jaya. He recently completed a master’s degree in English from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He enjoys baroque music, grand epic movies and long walks.
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amen! i feel more excited than obama.
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Dude, you’re so melodramatic. Almost like Brad Pitt in Troy when Achilles and Myrmidons were about to storm the beach.
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This morning I walked into a dark blue tent and told a 70-year-old man that I’m not voting for him because he was over the average Malaysian life span. He laughed it off at the moment, and the state assemblyman simply said he had enough voters otherwise.
Judging by these results
MP Shah Alam - Khalid Abdul Samad (PAS)
ADUN Kota Anggerik - Yaakob Sapari (PKR)
I don’t think they’re laughing any more.
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whoopee! hurrah for the opposition! this shows that you don’t need to have great writing to win elections and winning elections doesn’t result in great writing either!
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[…] the morning after Malaysians have spoken: Cry freedom […]
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now we need to just wait for them to deliver their agendas….
i hope that malaysia will change to become a greater nation
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I’m proud that Malaysians didn’t fall for the over advertising Barisan Nasional. Their return on investment on all the TV ads, posters and billboards must be extremely disheartening.
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Jeremy:
“You know what’s beyond that mountain? Freedom! Seize it, it’s yours!”
bwahahahaha!
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[…] have spoken: Cry freedom Written by on March 8, 2008 – 7:01 pm - Another fellow blogger added an interesting post on Malaysians have spoken: Cry […]
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Well said, Keith. This is proof that we do stand as one nation, regardless of race & religion. Indeed the future is ours. If we don’t stand up for ourselves, who will? Here’s to a new Malaysia.
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The people voted, and voted in protest against the arrogance and broken promises (corruption) of BN.. No more bullying rhetoric from the government ho are hopefully humbled.
For the opposition, my hope is that they will be humble too, and will remember that they won because of the mandate of the people. May the opposition alliancel work together, despite some ideological differences between them, and prove themselves worthy for the next elections. .
With this present shift in tide, I hope that the government and the people see that multiracial parties are possible, as seen in PKR and also DAP (to a slightly lesser extent). With the MIC losing its core leadership, its representation of the Indian community in doubt, I believe the time has come to gradually move away from racial politics, to see our interests beyond race, and in socio-economic and geographical lines instead. An ‘Indian’ problem is as much a ‘Malay’ and a ‘Chinese’ problem, and vice versa for ‘Malays’ and ‘Chinese’ problems. We are Malaysians!
.
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Being a political ignorant people as I am due to the previous government.
You have no idea how excited I was when my area was the first to be obtained by DAP
Bagan
>D
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[…] Malaysians have spoken: Cry freedom […]
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It’s not the end, folks. Let’s fight to keep the government, ruling party and opposition alike, in check; having the balance of power shift slightly doesn’t mean we’re safe now and Malaysia’s going to be perfect.
So proud of everyone!
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the results of the GE will be declared null and void if the DPM launches a coup de’tat to force what is perceived to be a weak PM to resign. UMNO ultras would love to see that…najib doing what his dad did back in 1969.
when that happens….lim kit siang would have to eat his words because the political tsunami would have been overturned…it is too early to feel relieved….UMNO hardliners will never give up their hold on power…they may be up to something. there ought to be caution for about a month
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elegant lily
ur right , we should save the celebrations for a month or so. After all goverments are yet to be formed in Perak and Selangor. Penang looks headed in the right direction. I wish all those in liberated states the best. And to the new leaders do not fail us! As for UMNO let them fight amongst themselves and let the party die from within. To all Malays, most of you have also spoken and cast aside race based politics , stick to it. Do not let some keris weilding lunatic get the better of us. After all it will only be to save his skin and not to uphold anything that we Malaysians hold dear.
To a certain ape…in the forests of Rembau…let us ask…where is the dacing now?? Didnt one say that only the dacing will be left in the end in Kelantan??
Ohhh..he must be busy up a tree eating his own words now!
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true.
however, what I’ve seen in the past week is that while the people cry freedom, the defeated candidates stick out like sore losers. Why don’t they just leave it be ??!
now, even the scales are so last century. talk about today’s context, we don’t use it anymore, do we ?
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