Cover Chan Soon Seng, Datin Dian Lee and Tharma Pillai
Chan Soon Seng, Datin Dian Lee and Tharma Pillai
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Undi18's Tharma Pillai, Family Frontiers' Suriani Kempe, Teach for Malaysia's Chan Soon Seng, WAO's Sumitra Visvanathan and Muda's Datin Dian Lee on why voting in Malaysia's GE15 matters
The 2022 Malaysian general election, formally known as the 15th Malaysian general election (GE15), is scheduled to be held on November 19, 2022. Dubbed the 'mother of all elections', GE15 will see a number of firsts for Malaysia, in particular, 18-year-olds will be voting and they will represent the voice of the youth. This amounts to over five million new voters who have been added to the electoral roll after the implementation of automatic voter registration.
Read more: GE15: 5 Things That Will Make Malaysia’s 2022 Elections Different
The youth is now the largest electoral bloc and is said to be the kingmakers as these Malaysians could play a significant role in shaping the outcome of the election. However, considering the heightened uncertainty and turmoil in the past two years, will they exercise their constitutional right to vote?
With GE15 on the horizon, we speak to five Malaysians about why voting still matters.
Tharma Pillai, co-founder of Undi18
I still want to vote because I want my voice to be counted. Whether my candidate wins or loses, my vote is a message to my candidate that I support this cause and that I will not give up fighting the good fight. It is also a statement of my engagement in the democratic process. Every vote matters, every vote is meaningful and all of us need to be involved in determining the future of our nation.
See also: 5 Rapid-Fire Questions with Malaysian Activist Tharma Pillai
But also remember, democracy only begins at the ballot box. Voting is only one part of the democratic process. We can and should do more.
Datin Dian Lee, Muda's central executive committee member
I know many Malaysians are currently feeling politically apathetic because of everything that had happened. Good thing that the anti-hopping law is now in place. This time, our votes will be treated solemnly. Voting is our chance to stand up to matters close to our hearts, and the issues that will affect the future of our country.
See also: The Healing Energy of Sound, According to Datin Dian Lee
We only get a chance to vote once every five years; the next time we vote will be in 2027. I hope many will show up at the polls, not just vote for themselves but vote for the generations to come.
Chan Soon Seng, CEO of Teach For Malaysia
As a democracy, our society exists because of who we choose to lead and be in power, and it is our right as Malaysians to play our part in making our choice about who we believe should be leading this nation. Ultimately, if we want to see a more prosperous Malaysia and a Malaysia that works for everyone, that first step starts with our vote. Every political system has its challenges, but our basic right is to make sure that we cast our votes.
Every democracy is dependent on an educated voting population. If we want the kind of government that would lead our society towards the aspirations we have for our country, more so than ever, we must invest in education. It’s quality teachers who make a difference in the classroom and enable students who will ultimately become our voting population to be people who are thinking not just critically but also with compassion and empathy about the world we want to build.
Don't miss: Asia's Most Influential 2021: Chan Soon Seng
What we’ve also seen is that a politically stable government is able to invest in education and make longer-term decisions about education transformation. We need to ensure that we have the political stability to see changes in education because we all want a better future for our children. A politically stable government will be able to deliver that more effectively.
Sumitra Visvanathan, executive director of Women's Aid Organisation
Voting is a right that is guaranteed to every adult regardless of gender or race, and one of the rare times when we get an opportunity to show that we exist, that we matter, and have a choice in who governs us. We, the rakyat, decide our fates and we cannot afford to silence our own voices and allow other forces to decide our destiny. Every vote is equal and we all matter. Winning by even one vote is still a win. Huge sacrifices were made by great people of all races to achieve our independence. We cannot diminish that great legacy. We must believe in ourselves and our power to achieve great things for our beloved country.
Read more: Sumitra Visvanathan Of WAO: Tackling Rising Domestic Abuse In Malaysia During Lockdown
Our WAO Manifesto is calling on all Malaysians to hold aspiring parliamentarians to account for their views on women's rights and gender equality. It is more crucial than ever to talk about equal representation and other measures that will bring about long-term transformative change to protect, empower and benefit the lives of women in Malaysia. With your vote, you can choose to co-create as one rakyat, an equal Malaysia for all.
Suriani Kempe, president of Family Frontiers
I cannot demand change from a government if I don’t exercise my right to vote and my right to choose who represents me in government. A large part of my activism is centred on holding the government to account for its promises to the people.
Don't miss: Asia's Most Influential 2022: Suriani Kempe
As one of those people, I have a voice, and I have a vote.
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Lainey was the Digital Director of Tatler Malaysia. When not whiling away the hours watching documentaries, the latest K-drama, or reruns of Friends, she can be found indulging her wanderlust by stalking travel platforms or feeding her obsession with music. She loves animals, running, all things social media, a good conversation over coffee or soju or wine (often rambling on if nobody pulls the brakes on her), and is an avid fan of bursting-at-the-seams laughter.
