Now that it has hit 67.44% what do I have to say?

As I noted in my previous article, voter turnout this time around is highly likely to surpass the 45.39% recorded in the 2022 state election. 

The moment it hits their target (in fact, it hit 67.44% of the electorate at 5pm), chances are, whatever effort I put into writing this article will no longer be considered a warning in the coming general election. 

A former DAP Member of Parliament posed a poignant question to me: “Do you think they (his own leaders) will listen?”

He knows the answer. I know the answer.

To put it plainly: the political elites may not even be bothered to read this blog, but the fact remains that it is already being read by a few thousand ordinary citizens who are also watching the political developments. 

But at least when I posted my blog in an Umno chat group, the response from the incumbent Menteri Besar of Johor was so much better: 

Ultimately, the proof of the pudding is in the pie. If UMNO is able to genuinely reform itself and move beyond the allegations of bribery and corruption that have long tainted its reputation, I believe more people may be willing to accept the coalition.

However, rebuilding public trust is never easy; as the saying goes, “a leopard cannot change its spots,” and many will remain sceptical until they see consistent and lasting change with its younger echelon of leaders. 

It is not my intention to bring down the Madani or Selangor State Government, but to serve as a red flag; if they heed the red flag and change their ways, we will have a better government that upholds justice and fairness, and helps the oppressed. I should raise the red flag now before the next General Election so that politicians are not too complacent, thinking that once in power, they become invincible. 

Therefore, even if the turnout hits 70%, they should realise that it does not guarantee a sure win for Pakatan Harapan in Johor; the same can also happen in the next general election. I believe many of us still believe PH can do a good job, but it only needs to realign itself again to resonate with the people instead of the politicians living in their echo chamber. 

The early morning low turnout could still be interpreted as voters trying to send a strong message that, if PH continues to be indifferent towards the plight of the people, it could spell disaster by the end of the day. In some years, where most voters were all fired up to remove the government of the day, from as early as 6am, most people would have already started to queue at the polling station. Politicians did not even need to appeal to voters to turn up at the polling booths. 

If these politicians refuse to shift their attitude toward the people they are meant to serve, their day of reckoning will come. It will hit them like a sudden, overwhelming avalanche — much like the 2008 political tsunami that caught Barisan Nasional completely off guard.

As I have mentioned before, that downfall didn't happen because BN lacked capable leaders. It happened because the majority of those occupying the highest echelons of power were driven entirely by personal agendas. Once they scaled the peak of their political careers, they checked out, choosing instead to indulge in the perks of their positions.

Take, for instance, the ubiquitous police escorts. We see them nearly every day, cutting through the agonizingly congested streets of Kuala Lumpur.

It reminds me of a classic cartoon by Lat: a fleet of police outriders blaring past hundreds of trapped cars, clearing a path for a chauffeur-driven VIP vehicle. It is not that we don't understand the occasional need for security protocols on busy city roads. The real issue is that living in such insulated comfort has transformed our elected officials into "Very Important Persons"—utterly detached from, and devoid of empathy for, the daily struggles of ordinary Malaysians.

What matters to ordinary citizens is too often dismissed as "irrelevant" or "too minor to warrant attention." While critics frequently blame these failures on the "Little Napoleons" within the civil service, who is allowing these bureaucratic tyrants to rear their ugly heads in the first place? Why is there no intervention from the political leaders chosen to serve in the Cabinet or the State Executive Councils? They are vested with power, but there is a lack of political will to do what is right. 

This explains why your MPs and state assemblymen have gone into hibernation since the last election. They have eyes but refuse to see; they have ears but plug them with the comforting noise of their own echo chambers. Yet, the moment they walk into an event, they still expect the public to give them a standing ovation. 

This is why parties that have the biggest number of seats have become too aloof thinking that they are now the pivot for the formation of the unity government. That is why they can even give the Prime Minister an ultimatum of six months to deliver the promises in the manifesto, something which on their own, they have failed to achieve within two decades in the state of Selangor. 

Bersama Who?

For politicians who think I am with Bersama, let me speak from my heart. In recent months, this defected group has also pretended that they are now the true saviours for a rotten Malaysia. But if you assess their qualifications and experience in government, Rafizi Ramli, for example, has less than three years in total as a cabinet minister and during short tenure, his lacklustre performance has been quite disappointing. 

The reason I cannot support Rafizi and his circle of so-called senior leaders from PKR is that he has always been remarkably cold toward his base.

Like Tony Pua, he can only thrive on controversies, but his lack of genuine leadership does not gel with the way some of us tried to label him as "PM material."

The truth is that many of us are simply trying to encourage young people like Rafizi to become capable and responsible leaders in the future. However, leadership aspirations must be supported by demonstrated competence, sound judgment, and a willingness to grow.

In this instance, there appear to be significant gaps with Rafizi and his team in those areas. With proper mentorship, training, and experience, individuals may have a better opportunity like him and Nik Nazmi to develop into the kind of leaders that people hope to see in the years ahead.