LETTER | Pitfalls of voting for the lesser of two evils

LETTER | Most non-Malay voters in the six states holding elections this Saturday are confronted with two daunting choices: vote for Pakatan Harapan to keep conservative Islamism at bay, or Perikatan Nasional and be prepared to be swept by the so-called "Green Wave".

It's not an ideal situation to be put in. Aug 12 is not Nov 17, when the general election was held last year. Some nine months since Anwar Ibrahim took over, reforms have been happening at a glacial pace. His pandering to the Muslim ground, such as the cabinet go-ahead for Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or RUU355 (Act 355) and empowering Jakim, has made many non-Muslims wonder if anything has changed since Umno's rule (or has got worse!).

But on the flip side, many non-Muslims see PN, especially PAS, as the bigger threat. From its leaders' stance on nurses' uniforms to closing down gaming outlets in Pas-held Kedah and Perlis, many non-Muslims would rather stick with a more "liberal" bloc like PH-BN or even Muda-PSM.

This is why, some non-Muslims, when push comes to shove, will still vote for Harapan (but probably not BN, much less if the candidate is from Umno), despite all its shortcomings. In not so many words, Harapan is the "lesser of the two evils".

Flawed thinking

This kind of thinking is flawed. Giving your vote to a so-called "evil" bloc - albeit a less "evil" one - only lends legitimacy to those elected. It emboldens their political pursuit, including those that disadvantage the electorate they seek to represent.

We are heading down a slippery slope with this approach and before we know it, Harapan will metamorphose into a monstrosity like Umno which it used to criticise pre-GE15, or worse, PAS. By then, it'd be too late.

Wasn't the Alliance, the predecessor to BN, as well as Umno, fairly liberal in its early days? The moment the electorate started to turn a blind eye to some of its "minor" transgressions in the name of "lesser of the two evils", the erosion in values began. It happened bit by bit, but over the decades, the voters have become the frog in the boiling water, unable to escape when it's too late.

Besides, what kind of values are we imparting to our children if we tell them it's okay to choose "evil"? How are we going to teach our children to stand up for themselves and stick to their principles?

Are we teaching our children that it's okay to end up with a "less toxic" partner in life one day? Do we tell them that it's all right to accept sub-standard work or products? Are we telling our children that it's okay to resolve the symptoms, but not the underlying cause?

It's time we stood up for our principles and demanded that politicians listen to the electorate and deliver on their electoral pledges. Just as we do not buy fake or damaged goods in the supermarket, we should not vote for a party or a bloc that is similarly flawed.

And just as consumers should boycott outlets selling damaged goods, the electorate should also boycott such parties or cast a spoiled vote.

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