YOURSAY | ‘Unlike Diana, I’ll vote when the time comes’

YOURSAY | ‘It’s our duty, no matter how ridiculous or lost the situation may look.’

What's the point of voting if voters' choices don't matter - Diana Danielle

Kilimanjaro: Actress Diana Danielle is 100 percent correct. The politicians not only think we are fools but treat us as such.

The earlier decided cases on how action against party jumping curbs fundamental rights should be revisited. We elect our state assemblypersons and parliamentarians believing that they will honour our votes, but these rascals have other ideas because the legal system is flawed.

The court decisions should have considered the rights of voters and the system through which we elect our representatives. That flaw caused untold misery to the people and destabilised the country.

Who can guarantee that frogs will not suddenly emerge after the 15th general election? That is why people are frustrated and may be reluctant to vote.

Maybe we should all reject parties that do not take the anti-hopping bill to Parliament at its next sitting. The government of the day and the parties aligned to it should be rejected and we should vote out every single rep from those parties if they are not serious about this.

YellowCat115: I can't really blame people like Diana when we have those in power fighting over a rock in the sea, asking citizens to eat fewer eggs, telling them to start farming in their own backyard, announcing their grandiose plans for the next elections, etc, with little to no concern as to where economically and as a society, our country is heading to.

But no matter how fatigued I am reading and witnessing our self-serving politicians, I will vote when the time comes. Because you never know when your vote could matter, no matter how ridiculous or lost the situation may look. Remember 2018?

Come out and vote, Diana. At least, we can point our fingers at the politicians and say we did our duty, and now it's their responsibility to do theirs. But, if only they would listen...

IndigoTrout2522: Diana is justified in being frustrated and disappointed, but that frustration and disappointment should turn into voting for a party that can put in place changes to improve our political system.

Your abstaining only leads to those who only want to continue this broken system which favours their power and greed.

Remember Rome is not built in one day. As disappointed as Pakatan Harapan’s 22 months in government was, it still did better than BN’s 65 years in government.

Give Harapan a chance to prove itself. Give yourself a chance to place a more responsible party in government to effect changes.

Newbie SC: For one so young to be so disillusioned speaks volumes for the state of our country today.

I understand Diana’s sentiments and I too, am disillusioned that our country is run by corrupt leaders with no integrity at all. And now the anti-hopping bill is being hijacked by a few senior ministers. I, for one, will not be voting if the bill is not passed before the next general election.

Anonymous 5035: No, Diana, that's not how we deal with the situation. Unless, of course, your whole intention is to keep the current government in power.

Fortunately for you, your tweet will not result in the police knocking on your door, unlike that of former PKR senator Siti Aishah. Your tweet only serves to dampen the spirits of many Malaysians who are seeking change.

You tweeted this in response to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's tweet, who rightly called on all Malaysians to vote for the future of the country and its children.

You, too, should be rousing young Malaysians to fight for change instead of encouraging them to be defeatists.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Based on Diana’s views, we only have two options: (1) prepare for the worst that would inevitably follow if the majority of voters like her decide to stay at home; or (2) leave the country for good since it is doomed to failure.

I am not keen on either option. As a citizen, the only opportunity I get to at least make a difference, albeit in a very small and insignificant way, to chart our future as a nation is by voting every five years, even if the electoral and political system is flawed.

By staying at home out of anger, despair and disillusionment, we are only empowering and emboldening the corrupt, greedy, tyrannical and racist minority in our country to continue with their abuses supposedly in the name and interests of the majority.

Existential Turd: The majority of the population has no problem with the current setup. Why should the minorities carry all the weight of saving Malaysia? The minorities can care a hundred times more, but it will not make the majority care one percent more.

What we have witnessed post the 14th general election is that BN/Perikatan Nasional and Harapan do not differ in kind, but in degree.

Malaysia will still fail. The question is how soon. The onus is on the political parties. You have to give the people a clear and precise vision before they can get behind your struggle. What we want is an alternative, not merely a substitute.

HardTruth: Harapan leaders should take heed of this as a warning. Low turnout in the upcoming general election means a certain victory for BN.

Lay out a concrete plan to abolish FPTP (first past the post) system for a more representative one, and include this as one of the priorities in your manifesto. Don't just dish out empty promises and lip service. And enact the anti-hopping law as soon as possible.

Jaded: True, but giving up your vote will only mean that the current practices will go unabated and eliminate hope for any change at all. While it will be slow, voting will change things slowly but surely.

It's not perfect, but what other alternative is there? Unless you vote these people out, they will continue with their corruption. At least, we must try to make it harder for them to stay in power.

We must continue to vote until we make it impossible for the corrupt to continue abusing the system.

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