• Commentary by Mustafa K. Anuar

EVERY Malaysian who is eligible to vote in the next general election should be encouraged and facilitated to exercise their democratic right. Any obstacle toward this end should be minimised.

This is why people and opposition politicians are disturbed by the decision to temporarily suspend the operations of parts of the automated clearance system at the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine Complex in Johor Baru.

Several of the auto-gates will be closed for replacement and installation works between October 16 and November 10, a period in which the general election is to be held.

It is thus feared that the temporary suspension would inconvenience an estimated 100,000 voters travelling from Singapore to the southern tip of the peninsula, who will face heavy congestion and a long queue at the Johor checkpoint. Only about 7,000 of them are eligible to vote by post.

There is also the concern that such a scenario may discourage many voters from returning to Malaysia. This could also contribute to a lower voter turnout, particularly among non-Malays.

The timing of the suspension rightly prompted many people as well as opposition politicians to insist on an explanation from the caretaker government.

They wondered whether the suspension was deliberately timed to prevent thousands of Malaysians from returning home to vote, resulting in a lower voter turnout that will benefit Umno-BN.

Whatever the case may be, the caretaker government should take immediate steps to address this pressing issue so that the right of members of the “Malaysian Family ” to vote is not violated and robbed.

The Election Commission (EC) is scheduled to meet later today to decide on the dates for nomination and polling.

The 15th general election can be deemed “the mother of general elections” for Malaysians generally, but not for reasons that Umno-BN chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has in mind.

This election is important to voters, who now number 20.6 million after the EC added 5.6 million registered voters to the rolls, because they have a duty to choose a new government that will make a real difference to the common people in terms of their living standards, human dignity and democratic rights.

After facing the harsh realities of a Malaysia shaken by the Sheraton Move and subsequently the pandemic, it is hoped that Malaysians will carefully choose leaders who value democracy and the rule of law, who are sensitive to climate change and the environment, and last but not least, are averse to corruption and nepotism.

Social divisiveness that has emerged as a result of the toxic politics of race and religion played by certain crafty politicians over the years should persuade voters to elect politicians who instead embrace and celebrate diversity and inclusiveness.

Additionally, a new government chosen by the people should favour development projects that would benefit the common people over those that profit a select few.

It is also hoped that the monsoon season, which has become a worrying factor for many Malaysians, activists and the opposition, would not deteriorate to a point where the votes and hope for a real change among the electorate would not be dumped by bad weather.

Malaysian voters have once again the opportunity to remind politicians who’s boss. – October 20, 2022.