Voting For Change

Here with Lone Kyaw, Myanmar's
Lethwei champ and my trainer, taking
a pic for the Jom Bali Undi campaign.
Lone Kyaw understands completely
our fight and supports our "vote for
change" :)

So, the election is just around the corner. I wish our Ah Jip Kor will make the announcement soon cos people like me need to make travel plans (and reapplying Myanmar visa) to go home to vote. Chances are, it is unlikely I will be able to make a trip home to vote as I am going back for Cheng Beng end of March and if the elections is not during that time, I can't be flying home again to vote. After all, no one's paying for my flight ticket except me :P

This'll be my second time voting. And so... if I do get the chance to go home to vote, I will mark my 'X' on anything that doesn't have the icon of a balance scale. Wait, first of all, I'm not very into politics, really. I'm not one of those political bloggers nor am I one of those who reads incessantly about all these political views and analyse them whatsoever. Secondly, I have not lived in Malaysia for the past 5 years and more. Harder to keep up with what's going on except through FB and emails from family and friends.

But here's MY reasons for voting the opposition - I don't care who, as long as it is not the balance scale. Because I think it is time for change. After so many years of seeing the injustice and racial politics in Malaysia, I'm just fed-up. Hearing stupid remarks from our leaders about us being second-class and "balik tongsan" and all that crap is making me angry. I may not live in Malaysia, but I have my businesses and investments in Malaysia. So, I am one of those voters now who have vested interest in making sure the country grows economically and socially.

Now look, previous years, I can't be bothered. I was born with the Chinese mentality. When I scored with flying colours in my SPM and applied for a government scholarship (because BOTH, not one, but BOTH my parents are government servants) and I wasn't granted one despite the fact that our household income made me eligible for one, I applied for private scholarships instead - and got it. It had been at a young age that we were brought up to rely on ourselves and our own capabilities to make it in the country and beyond.

A couple of years back, my company was asked to put forth a quote to a GLC to manage their events since we had been highly recommended, and also, we had planned the chairman's son's wedding in the previous year. I was running our business in Cambodia at that time, but the person from said GLC called my partners and told them "You cannot be chosen to do the job because you are not a bumiputera company." Needless to say, that got my partners hopping mad.

And it is also very embarassing for people like me living overseas, and you get foreign friends who come up to you and say "What's up with your local oil company? There was a secondment offer but I went for the interview and they told me I will not get the secondment because of my religion." Say what???? This particular friend - I believe is well-qualified in whatever it is that she does. Just unfortunately, she works for our famous oil company outside of Malaysia.

So, I would say, enough is enough. I want to the chance to pitch and rightfully pitch for a government project because of my company's reputation and capabilities. Not because I am bumiputera. What is this bumiputera nonsense anyway? Both my parents were born here in Malaysia. I was born here in Malaysia. Does that not make me "original" or should I still balik tongsan?

Don't even get me started on the crime rate. I am constantly worried about the safety of my loved ones who are in Malaysia. Can you believe that a country like Myanmar is safer than Malaysia? I go running ALONE early in the morning before the sun rises with full confident that nobody will do me any harm. When you don't feel safe in your own country anymore,....... it says a lot.

To say how badly the government and our leaders had fared since winning the last election is by looking at my business partners. For ten years that I had known them, they had never kept up with politics and always shut their ears when I am making comments about votes. They don't vote either. But this year, even during our CNY "Hoi Koong" lunch, while doing our Low Sang toss, they were saying things like "Hope BN lose the elections!!" I was actually caught by surprise.

Basically, after ranting on and on, I am all for the Opposition because I just want the change. I don't want leaders who talk about race and religion. I don't want leaders who are not helping the poor equally. I don't want leaders who change our country's constitution per their whim and fancy. I don't want leaders who think I have no rights over my own country. I do. I have every right to have a country and a government in which I can be proud of.

My business partners and I believe that if the incumbent government wins again, it'll be another 5 years of backward progression for Malaysia. And that being the case, we will pull out our investments from Malaysia and put it elsewhere. How about the final Asian frontier for that matter? Because mark my words, if our leaders don't buck up, Myanmar will soon overtake Malaysia in terms of growth and development.

So, I will vote for change. I hope you will too.