Opposition’s Win At Malaysia’s 14th General Election; In Light And Hope For A Democratic Change

On May 10, 2018, faithful Malaysians rejoiced at the announcement of the opposition alliance’s win at Malaysia’s 14th general election. With an over-sweeping vote of 119 seats in the 222-member parliament, the opposition, Pakatan Harapan (Coalition of Hope) brought change to a 61-year long reign of the Barisan Nasional (National Coalition). Using Malaysia as a case study, this article aims to show the importance of citizens in a democratic system.

The most anticipated response was from the representative of the coalition party himself, Mahathir Mohamad, who is also the former Prime Minister of Malaysia (1981 to 2003). While the outcome was an expected result from the public’s uproar on Najib Razak’s numerous previous scandals, Mahathir’s response to the victory placed the public’s interest before any personal sentiments. Moreover, his response included that they were not “seeking revenge” but rather aligning to “restore the rule of law.”

Professor James Chin, from the Asia Institute Tasmania, shared his opinion on this win. He suggested that the loss previously stemmed mostly from the simple villagers from the rural area who did not understand what was going on. However, the scenario this time changed since although they did not know the specifics, suspicions had definitely been raised which resulted in high doubts about the credibility of the ‘Barisan brand.’

There are three major players in this Malaysian democracy’s league championship. First up, there is the Barisan Nasional with Najib Razak – the 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia – as their most recent leader. Barisan Nasional had a strong victory streak from the beginning of their reign with exceptional contributions made, especially during the 22 years of leadership under Mahathir Mohamad. However, the party’s popularity declined recently as they gained criticisms locally and internationally, regarding Najib’s alleged scandals.

The other side of the ring includes the opposition alliance, Pakatan Harapan. In January 2018, Pakatan Harapan named Mahathir Mohamad as their leader for the upcoming general election. While some may take the approach of being practical and wary with the change of power bestowed upon the opposition, many agreed that a change is preferred over the predictable doubts against Barisan Nasional.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the ring awaits the underdogs and the crucial player of this tournament; the people. This victory was not merely a fight between the political parties and figures, but rather a victorious effort from the people. Najib’s response to the defeat, “I accept the verdict of the people” highlights the very essence of democracy and its core principle of representative and responsible government. A democratic country resonates the will of the people in choosing the government that represents them in making major decisions for the country. Consecutively, in making those decisions on behalf of the people, they are to be held accountable for in any cases of dissatisfaction.

Overseas Malaysians did not hold back in showing their loyalty to their country. Some posted their votes back while many went the extra mile to travel against the obstacle and voted in person. Meanwhile, Malaysians who were still in the country pulled their weight and did more than just registering and voting. Students in a different state from their home made a day trip back to vote personally. Besides that, faithful Malaysians took the extra effort in volunteering themselves as polling agents and counting agents for the general election, to ensure a clean and transparent election; keeping alight any blackouts of Malaysians’ hope for democracy.

In conclusion, the scenario in Malaysia shows a strong encouragement that, instead of violent riots and combative means to disagree the government’s system, people’s voices are both crucial and powerful in a democratic society.

Cherie Gan

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