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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 ofPRU12 and while the aftershock-wave still attenuates, PRU13 is nowapproaching. We are receiving the vibes stronger by the day and many Ibelieve (especially the undecided voters) have started making 'calculation'; tovote and note to vote for one particular collision i.e. BN or PR. Me being nodifferent. 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 thereasons for me not to vote them. And to make it more challenging andinteresting, I am going to choose only one reason for each item; thus it will bethe 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 34years now. When I look back at myself and my family, BN was there all theway. When we needed education, we got it; we had the teachers, the schoolsand universities and of course financial supports. So far, none of us, eitherme, 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, noneof us were stopped from studying just because of not having 'money'; therewas 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 facilityand yes, I could not agree more. But having said this, all that I have

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experienced only means that BN has delivered rather responsibly at timethere 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 clickHERE.And on why I consider BN's contribution to 'my' education as theforemost 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 isliving in a 'not bad' system. What is the most general mechanism of lifemobility can a person have in a system, if not for education, right? And that iswhat we are having at the moment. I knew an Indonesian who graduated asengineer but worked as a construction worker in Malaysia because the latterjob made him more money. But in Malaysia, if your parents are poor, all youneed to do is to study hard, get into the university, get a job and your parentswould not be poor anymore. I want this to continue especially for my kids so Iwould not take any risk that can jeopardize its continuation therefore I will votefor BN.

REASON FOR ME TO VOTE FOR PR

I believe PR especially DAP can modernize Malaysia. As I keep saying in thisblog, in the world that is exponentially changing, only the learned can keep upwith 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 aresmart people who, like I said, can give Malaysia a modern look. Malaysia is agreat country but if the current system is made more efficient, Malaysia canbe greater in no time as it has all the ingredients already; all that it needs is alittle 'tweak'. I myself would be more appreciated, I believed, if our universitieshave more of these 'smart people' based on the saying "hanya Jauharimengenal Manikam". If our universities can be more 'opened', then the'mediocre' and 'distinguished' intellects can be made more easilydistinguished. And we do really need to modernize our universities becausehere is where 'civilization' begins. I do not need to elaborate my views on thisas I have written tons in this blog; just pick any entry and you will read myview on the issue i.e. how and why we need to do something about ouruniversities. 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 hencemy priority but in my defense, I really believe that if universities are

straightened up, "good things" will follow. Based on this argument, I will votefor PR.

REASON FOR ME NOT TO VOTE FOR BN

I would not vote for BN because it is simply 'too old'. Look how they managegovernment ministries, agencies, bodies, departments etc. Many decisionscan 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, aresufficient; the so called 'experience-based intuitions'. I have attended many

government workshop and witnessing for myself how 'rules and policies' weremade by intuitions which were just ridiculous. No wonder many national

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projects went down the drain. Dedication, sincerity, discipline etc are alllacking in BN's system. But if BN still in power, such 'orthodoxies' will continuefor it has become BN's culture. For this reason, I will not vote for BN. Votingfor 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 enthusiastat seeing more bigger role from DAP in modernizing the country, but as aMuslim and Malay, I would still insist on the major role being played by aMuslim-Malay party else I would not feel 'secured'. But so far, what I haveseen is the failing of PAS in taking the 'lead' (I would not consider PKR as aMuslim-Malay party for obvious reasons). PAS so far does not show goodpolitical 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 thingsworst 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 failureof PR in announcing the shadow cabinets adds up to my skeptical towards theingenuity of the collision. As I mentioned in previous entry, if they fail toannounce it now, what reason will there be for them to succeed in announcingit later; it looks like they are just delaying the collapse of the collision. UnlessPAS can show stronger stance and unless PR can announce their shadowcabinet 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, Iprioritize education first and foremost. I will vote for the collision that can offerme a better educational system and the life mobility mechanism that followsit.

On the other hand, when it comes to not voting, I will not vote based on thefailing of doing job and/or the failing to walk the talk. You see, I can't standtwo 'bad qualities': hypocrisy and ignorance and the above failing is usuallycaused by either of these two 'bad qualities', or both. So I will not vote for acollision 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 Ihave written above, although it is a very difficult decision to make as there isno clear cut but more to the deciding of best of worst, I have decided to votefor BN. So how about you?

Note: While you may not have found any explicit 'religious reasoning' in myarguments, believe me, all the arguments that I have laid down are actually'religiously' governed. My religion insists on the best education and the bestpeople but against hypocrisy and ignorance. In other words, Islam insists on

'good qualities' and against 'bad qualities', and such a principle has alwaysbeen the guidance in any of my reasoning. Wallahhualam.