With the much anticipated nomination day out of the way and the two-week campaigning period going full steam ahead, Malaysians would have a slightly clearer picture of who they want as their representatives for the next five years.
Voters have their preferences and their favorites. Several heavyweights that previously graced Malaysian politics are also no longer in the picture, much to the chagrin of their supporters, and the glee of their opponents.
At the rate our candidates are going with their rambunctious campaigning, some may have forgotten about #undibanjir – a hashtag that began on social media, opposing to the date chosen for GE15 – Nov 19.
Despite this highly protested date, it seems even those who were against the idea initially, have now embraced it wholeheartedly.
Of course, it is the system that needs to be blamed, as well as the lack of empathy from those who were involved in making the call.
This week, several places in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah have been hit by major floods. They include Segamat in Johor, Baling in Kedah, and Taiping in Perak, several parts of the Klang Valley, as well as Tenom, Sepitang, Keningau, and Penampang in Sabah.
Extensive reports on large-scale floods caused by continuous heavy rain came about as early as October. The Meteorological Department had stated that the northeast monsoon during the period would bring continuous heavy rain that could lead to major floods, and this would be expected from mid-November.
It is understood that the La Nina phenomenon would intensify such weather, and that this would last until early next year.
The issue with floods is that it doesn’t end in a day. The devastation it causes lasts for weeks.
But Umno leaders had agreed that the general election should be held this year, with then-prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the party’s vice-president, being given the discretion on proposing a date for the dissolution of Parliament.
The opposition cited monsoonal flooding as one of the reasons for delaying the elections.
Despite warnings by relevant agencies, on Oct 15, Ismail Sabri announced the dissolution of Parliament, which meant that Malaysia had to go to the polls within 60 days.
It dawned on us that the general election was going to take place, rain or shine, notwithstanding the rakyat’s precarious situation. If we were to take a guess, it does seem like the rakyat is not exactly a priority.
It begs the question of how important the rakyat is in the eyes of all these leaders, if something with a potentially massive impact as these predicted weather conditions does not even register as an obvious problem to them.
Historically, we see revered leaders from all over the world who would take a bullet for their people, and leaders who were incarcerated just for their beliefs and principles.
During the trial of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the name of the late South African leader Nelson Mandela was bandied about in an attempt to draw parallels between the two.
Anyone who has a basic understanding of world politics would know that Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years, with most of that time in Robben Island prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions.
Mandela was sent to jail as a political prisoner of the apartheid government. In a speech given during the Rivonia Trial, Mandela famously stated, “It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Based on this alone, the struggle between Najib and Mandela is as different as night and day.
One, a political prisoner who was in jail for more than two decades fighting for equality for his people, while the other was convicted for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering.
We don’t need to look that far to a different continent in search of stories of brave leaders who fought for their people. Malaysia has many.
From warriors like Tok Janggut, Datuk Bahaman, Rentap, and Mat Kilau, to nationalists like Onn Jaafar and Burhanuddin al-Helmy, these names have secured a place in our history books because of their bravery, principles, and beliefs.
Those were turbulent and brutal times some may say, and leaders were shaped and forged by unprecedented adversity.
That’s a fair statement as different eras come with different struggles, although, the essence of leadership should not change, regardless of time.
Pride for the country, patriotism, and love for the people should always be a leader’s first and foremost priority.
While modern Malaysia may not need warriors like Rentap or Mat Kilau, it would suffice to have leaders who’d fight tooth and nail for their people in every sense of the word, as the struggles we now face, while extremely different, are no less arduous than before.
Maybe before we go out to vote, we can ask ourselves the simple question of the type of leader we want and how far removed our current leaders are from the realities of the average Malaysian.
The job of a leader is never a stroll in the park. It is taxing, fastidious. It is one of the bravest acts a person can do for his or her people, and if done right, the leader will be revered forever.
How many of our candidates fit this description?
At this point, what we seek is not perfection, for perfection is impossible.
Some consistency, care and empathy may be adequate at this point in time.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
