WHATEVER the outcome today, Malaysians must remember these names. The mere mention of these names must knock us out of a stupor of apathy and indifference.

Here’s GE14’s list of shame:

1) Hashim Abdullah

This man heads the Election Commission of Malaysia. Is it any wonder that voting has been done at glacial pace and there are complaints galore across Malaysia on having to wait for hours to cast votes?

From day one, Hashim and the EC have not been honest brokers. 

Redrawing of boundaries were wanton and seemed to follow only one principle: hurt Pakatan Harapan and make it easier for Barisan Nasional to return to power.

Then, there was the decision to break with usual convention and make polling day on a week day. Why? So that the voter turnout could be lower. In which country would an election commission try to frustrate citizens from exercising their constitutional right?

Sadly, Malaysia.

On nomination day, EC officers acted in bad faith and disqualified two PH candidates from contesting in Rantau and Batu. 

Throughout the campaign period, EC officials studiously pulled down posters of Dr Mahathir Mohamad while closing both eyes to BN flouting election laws.

Hashim has no respect for the right to vote. Hashim wouldn’t know what fairness is if it hit him on the head. 

Remember him when you think about GE14. 

2) Arul Kanda

Was this chap contesting GE14?

The CEO of 1MDB criss-crossed the country to speak the “truth” about the scandal-ridden company. 

Some “truth” that was. There were crater-sized holes in his narrative but he didn’t care because he was auditioning for a bigger position in the government post-GE14. 

At the very least, he hopes to replace Azman Mokhtar as the head of Khazanah Nasional when the latter retires next year.

But if it were up to him, he would prefer to be appointed a senator and made a minister.

Remember this is the chap who absolved Najib Razak, Jho Low and everybody from the world’s biggest theft. But after the millions of words he uttered during the campaign, he still couldn’t explain why Najib classified the auditor-general’s report ‎on 1MDB under the Official Secrets Act or why 1MDB remains a shell of a company.

Remember Arul Kanda when you think of GE14. Just because your lips are always moving, doesn’t mean that you are saying anything worthwhile.

3) ‎Tony Fernandes

Malaysians must always remember that video clip of Tony Fernandes stumping for Najib and trying to influence how we voted.

Why? 

You see, we have this crazy disease of being terribly impressed with the rich and famous in this country. We put the likes of Fernandes on a pedestal because he talks a good game, has charisma and solid business acumen. We somehow think that the Tan Sris of our world have something special, something more than we do.

The Fernandes video clip was an important lesson for all of us.

The rich and famous are rarely worth following. They have a different value system than the ordinary man. They have risen to the top because they have had to make compromises.

They are not role models.

Our role models should be the unknown Malaysian who sacrificed time and money to stand up and be counted.

Our role models should be individuals like Rafidah Aziz who withstood threats and the promise of future punitive measures to speak up for change.

Our role models should be the elderly woman in Pasir Gudang who dug deep and put a RM50 note into the collection box at a ceramah.

Hashim Abdullah? Arul Kanda? Tony Fernandes?

When we remember these names, we should feel disgust. – May 9, 2018.