SOME people are still adamant about abstaining from voting in this coming general election. Their shared excuse; both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan are the same, therefore it’s not much of a choice. Basically both are bad, according to some self-proclaimed intellectuals.

However, PH has never been in power. Since the day the Alliance of UMNO, MCA and MIC won the first general election of 1955 until the formation of BN in 1974, and up till today, it has always been the same BN government in power.

So, can we compare a long standing government with an opposition coalition that has never been in power?  Is it fair to say both are the same? In what ways are they are the same? Are they equally corrupt, scandalous, racist, inept, uncaring, and abusive?

Having said that, it doesn’t mean we can’t exercise our right not to vote right now. We can actually still do it, rightly or wrongly, for the state assemblies of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Sabah, Penang and Selangor.

In these states, voters had changed governments before. At least, they can make the comparison. PAS has been in power in Kelantan since 1990 (and BN before that since 1977, and it was also PAS prior to BN); Terengganu was under PAS in 1959-61 and 1999-2004; Kedah was under the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat between 2008 and 2013; Sabah has been under a few different governments, and Penang and Selangor are now under Harapan after it took over from BN since 2008.

Whether to abstain or to vote against the respective ruling party of these state governments, it is up to the voters. Perhaps some of them may think that PAS has been too long in power in Kelantan, or that either Terengganu or Kedah needs another change because the current respective BN state government is too dull.

Perhaps voters just want to retain the Sabah government because they’re getting election fatigue with too many political parties. Perhaps some voters in Penang and Selangor are just bored with their respective government, despite the fact that these are among the best state governments in the country in the past decade, at least according to the Auditor-General’s Reports.

By no means am I saying we should abstain from voting in these states at the state assembly level. I’m merely stating that if anyone strongly feels that he or she should abstain, at least these are the states that had been governed by different parties, therefore voters can fairly assess and compare the competing parties.

At the Parliamentary level, however, it is unfair to compare BN with Harapan.  In fact, if one really needs to abstain from voting, perhaps one should wait until the 15^th general election, possibly in the year 2023.

In fact, the best thing to do in the coming 14^th general election – between now and June 2018 - is to vote overwhelmingly for Pakatan Harapan. Let us call, ask and persuade all our friends, relatives and comrades overseas to return and vote in GE14. Let’s change government.

Let PH form the new federal government. Give it four or five years to implement all its promises, or perhaps give it four or five years to ruin itself.

Only then we can compare the PH federal government with BN’s. Only then would it be fair to abstain or to give our votes to third parties, or to continue voting the party which offers the best promises in GE15.

So, yes we can still abstain from voting, not matter how effective or ridiculous it may be, as long as it is done in 2023, after we help PH form the new government in this coming GE14. – November 3, 2017.

* Wan Hamidi Hamid is a veteran journalist with a deep love and knowledge of rock music

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.