LETTER | A prescription for young voters

LETTER | Dear Young Voters, this is what is in front of you presently.

This country, which you will inherit, is like your heart.

All the arteries in the heart are now completely blocked.

This is real and serious.

It was blocked and clogged from the years of corruption and mismanagement by the political elites and a small group of people.

Unlike a clogged pipe in your home which can be unclogged with a deluge of those high-grade clog removal, blocked arteries in a worst-case scenario necessitates a complete replacement of the heart.

And that is only if you are lucky and if there is a ready donor and you are on the top of the list as a recipient for the replacement heart and not on the bottom of the list.

Presently, the three main arteries in the heart are all entirely blocked.

Clogged arteries result from a buildup of a substance called plaque on the inner walls of the arteries.

Years of mismanagement

In this country’s case are the years of mismanagement that led the country down its current path of living with an unsustainable national debt of RM1.5 trillion, which your children and grandchildren will have to bear and pay for in the future.

Not directly but indirectly through various taxes.

Not even an angioplasty or bypass, or open heart can save you if all your arteries are blocked.

So, can you live with all the arteries in your heart wholly blocked?

If yes, how long can you live with blocked arteries?

Well, there is no set timeframe for a person's lifespan when all arteries are clogged.

Medically, it can still be treated, but it is impossible to unclog any of them unless it is replaced with a new heart.

Medically, the doctors will advise you to change your lifestyle, eat healthily, make exercise part of your routine, avoid smoking, and reduce alcohol intake for those who consume regularly.

And this is the stage where the country is now.

Vote wisely

In real terms, you have to vote and choose who you wish to lead this country, not only in the immediate term but for the medium term.

If you don’t change your voting preference or still base it on the choice of your parents or some preconceived long-held prejudice, the result is that this country will meander with no set timeframe for when it will fall off the cliff from the RM1.5 trillion debts.

Right in front of you now is not much of a choice.

All those competing and seeking your valuable votes are the same people selling the same vision and dreams to your parents or grandparents.

Not that they were on the outside of the government.

They were the government for the same period.

It was them, the same people governing and managing this country.

People are the boss

And after 50-plus years, they are still selling the same dreams and hope they have been selling in the beginning.

Do you want them to govern you and then, 20 years later, for them to sell the same dream and seek the votes from your grandchildren?

Vote to tell them that the people are the boss and the politicians are appointed to work for the people and not lord over them as and when they please once, they are voted in.

Send a clear message to all those trying to sell the same dreams to you that they did to your parents earlier that their products are already past the sell-by date.

Your parents and grandparents worked to provide you with your present independence and capability but failed to leave you with a prosperous country that appreciates you.

Walk one more step than what your parents and grandparents didn’t do.

Let your children and grandchildren grow up in a country that embraces its diversity.

The choice is yours.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.