PRU13: REASONS TO VOTE AND NOT TO VOTE FOR BN AND PR

It still feels like yesterday when the country was overwhelmed by the results of
PRU12 and while the aftershock-wave still attenuates, PRU13 is now
approaching. We are receiving the vibes stronger by the day and many I
believe (especially the undecided voters) have started making 'calculation'; to
vote and note to vote for one particular collision i.e. BN or PR. Me being no
different. So, what I am about to write is such a 'calculation' of mine.

I am going to write down the reasons for me to vote BN and PR and also the
reasons for me not to vote them. And to make it more challenging and
interesting, I am going to choose only one reason for each item; thus it will be
the strongest reason among all, as far as I am concerned.

REASON FOR ME TO VOTE FOR BN

Simply put, BN has not really disappoint me and I have been living for 34
years now. When I look back at myself and my family, BN was there all the
way. When we needed education, we got it; we had the teachers, the schools
and universities and of course financial supports. So far, none of us, either
me, my siblings or cousins ever had to 'directly' pay for any educational fees;
of course some of us did have to pay back as some were loans but still, none
of us were stopped from studying just because of not having 'money'; there
was always 'money' for our education. Some argue that it was (and it is) the
responsibility for the government (BN for that matter) to provide such a facility
and yes, I could not agree more. But having said this, all that I have
experienced only means that BN has delivered rather responsibly at time
there were (and there are) governments which have failed to do exactly that.
Even the UK is having a hard time on this kind of issue. To read about it click
HERE. And on why I consider BN's contribution to 'my' education as the
foremost important criteria for my reasoning of voting for BN, it is because, if
through education a person can have a mobility of life, than the person is
living in a 'not bad' system. What is the most general mechanism of life
mobility can a person have in a system, if not for education, right? And that is
what we are having at the moment. I knew an Indonesian who graduated as
engineer but worked as a construction worker in Malaysia because the latter
job made him more money. But in Malaysia, if your parents are poor, all you
need to do is to study hard, get into the university, get a job and your parents
would not be poor anymore. I want this to continue especially for my kids so I
would not take any risk that can jeopardize its continuation therefore I will vote
for BN.

REASON FOR ME TO VOTE FOR PR

I believe PR especially DAP can modernize Malaysia. As I keep saying in this
blog, in the world that is exponentially changing, only the learned can keep up
with the changes and I got to admit that, at present, DAP is the most 'learned'
political party in Malaysia. I follow Tony Phua's blogs (Education In Malaysia),
for example, since I was in London and from their writing I know these are
smart people who, like I said, can give Malaysia a modern look. Malaysia is a
great country but if the current system is made more efficient, Malaysia can
be greater in no time as it has all the ingredients already; all that it needs is a
little 'tweak'. I myself would be more appreciated, I believed, if our universities
have more of these 'smart people' based on the saying "hanya Jauhari
mengenal Manikam". If our universities can be more 'opened', then the
'mediocre' and 'distinguished' intellects can be made more easily
distinguished. And we do really need to modernize our universities because
here is where 'civilization' begins. I do not need to elaborate my views on this
as I have written tons in this blog; just pick any entry and you will read my
view on the issue i.e. how and why we need to do something about our
universities. So, when it comes to voting, it is all back to education for me.
May be because I am in the academia so I feel very personal about it hence
my priority but in my defense, I really believe that if universities are
straightened up, "good things" will follow. Based on this argument, I will vote
for PR.

REASON FOR ME NOT TO VOTE FOR BN

I would not vote for BN because it is simply 'too old'. Look how they manage
government ministries, agencies, bodies, departments etc. Many decisions
can be considered as 'retro' and detached from reality. Why? Because many
'old people' up there believe that we are still in the 80's where 'calculated-
guessed' and 'intellectual-guessed' are not needed but intuitions instead, are
sufficient; the so called 'experience-based intuitions'. I have attended many
government workshop and witnessing for myself how 'rules and policies' were
made by intuitions which were just ridiculous. No wonder many national
projects went down the drain. Dedication, sincerity, discipline etc are all
lacking in BN's system. But if BN still in power, such 'orthodoxies' will continue
for it has become BN's culture. For this reason, I will not vote for BN. Voting
for other than BN is also voting for 'cultural advancement' for me.

REASON FOR ME NOT TO VOTE FOR PR

What is problematic about PR is the balance of power. Whilst I am enthusiast
at seeing more bigger role from DAP in modernizing the country, but as a
Muslim and Malay, I would still insist on the major role being played by a
Muslim-Malay party else I would not feel 'secured'. But so far, what I have
seen is the failing of PAS in taking the 'lead' (I would not consider PKR as a
Muslim-Malay party for obvious reasons). PAS so far does not show good
political example. It is fierce and aggressive in attacking its own kind i.e.
UMNO but mellowed out when it comes to PKR and/or DAP. And make things
worst is when they act innocent after they put down their fight for an Islamic
country, regardless how they have rhetorically denied it. In addition, the failure
of PR in announcing the shadow cabinets adds up to my skeptical towards the
ingenuity of the collision. As I mentioned in previous entry, if they fail to
announce it now, what reason will there be for them to succeed in announcing
it later; it looks like they are just delaying the collapse of the collision. Unless
PAS can show stronger stance and unless PR can announce their shadow
cabinet before the upcoming PRU, I will not vote for PR.

ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION

Now, let me psycho-analyze my own self. Based on the above arguments,
there is a trace of pattern where we can see that, when it comes to voting, I
prioritize education first and foremost. I will vote for the collision that can offer
me a better educational system and the life mobility mechanism that follows
it.

On the other hand, when it comes to not voting, I will not vote based on the
failing of doing job and/or the failing to walk the talk. You see, I can't stand
two 'bad qualities': hypocrisy and ignorance and the above failing is usually
caused by either of these two 'bad qualities', or both. So I will not vote for a
collision which has a higher degree of hypocrisy and ignorance when
compared to its rival.

As the conclusion, after weighing all the pros and cons which some of which I
have written above, although it is a very difficult decision to make as there is
no clear cut but more to the deciding of best of worst, I have decided to vote
for BN. So how about you?

Note: While you may not have found any explicit 'religious reasoning' in my
arguments, believe me, all the arguments that I have laid down are actually
'religiously' governed. My religion insists on the best education and the best
people but against hypocrisy and ignorance. In other words, Islam insists on
'good qualities' and against 'bad qualities', and such a principle has always
been the guidance in any of my reasoning. Wallahhualam.