OVER the last 24 hours, the airwaves have been filled with conversations about the next step in the face of a hung parliament. 

As some former Malaysian Bar Council presidents have shared, we do have a reference point in the Perak saga.

The court has decided that the king should appoint the prime minister in the event the house is hung.

It cited the case of Zambry v Nizar, where the Court of Appeal ruled that the party or coalition of parties that hold the highest number of seats will first be asked by the ruler to form the government.

It quite clear that in this case the coalition is Pakatan Harapan.

Parties should work with PH with the end goal of making our beloved nation future and recession-proof.

It would be most ideal for the East Malaysia bloc to join the coalition in the lead and develop solutions that would benefit all of us in the country.

We have a number of pressing concerns that need to be worked worked and we have to ensure that the government of the day is well equipped to handle them. 

The government would also need to develop initiatives and innovations achieve the carbon targets we have committed to. Climate change has a far-reaching impact and we have to start now to ensure our future generations have nutritious food and clean water. 

If you say you are putting the country first, your next step is simple. 

Support the party with the most seats. Develop solutions in a collaborative manner. What happened in the past should not cloud decisions that are to be made today. We need to move forward and leave the past in the past. 

We have given you, politicians, the right to represent us in important decisions. Please do what needs to be done now and for the future, instead of letting personal bias get in the way of progress.

It’s time for politicians to realise that the electorate is more mature today and that the politicking needs to stop. You should be reflective of what we are today, and not be stuck in a time warp, in the heyday of the 80’s and 90’s.

We did our part and voted. 

We voted because we need change. We can’t keep doing the same old thing and expect different results. The challenges today are unique to today. Walk a mile in our shoes. Live the worry and stress of trying to make ends meet so that you can better understand our motivation before you decide to speak for any Malaysian. 

Listen to the voice of the people, please.

Build bridges, not factions.  Work together for the greater good. 

Show us just why we voted for you. – November 21, 2022.

* Shoba Pillay reads The Malaysian Insight.

* 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.