It may seem strange to those suffering from voter fatigue, but I look forward to Malaysia’s 15th General Election.
The reason is simple. I am looking forward to speaking to people on the ground during ceramah and polling day.
For the record, the Election Commission (EC) set Nov 5 for nomination and Nov 19 as polling day. The EC said the 15th General Election is estimated to cost RM1.01billion.
That is a huge sum. It could have been higher if the other state governments had agreed to hold elections.
As it is, only Perak, Pahang and Perlis will hold state elections concurrently with the general election.
The other states have decided to wait until their terms expire, while Melaka and Johor only recently held snap polls.
Folks are tired of the politicking among the various parties that has seen three prime ministers in Putrajaya in less than five years.
I know many feel that it is a waste of their time to vote as “we will not get the government we elected”.
It is always best to exercise your voting right, but we will not judge you if you decide to stay at home.
The late-great comedian George Carlin once joked that those who did not vote had more right to complain as they played no part in the democratic process.
It is a funny sketch, but unfortunately, not a family-friendly piece to share on this website!
However, Carlin got it wrong. If you did not vote against a corrupt politician, it is your fault if he or she remains in power.
If you decide to vote, check your name on the Electoral Roll to see your constituency and polling station.
That way, you can avoid misunderstandings or hassles on Nov 19.
Separately, some are worried that the polls are being held during the monsoon season.
Hopefully, everything will go smoothly.
Stay tuned to Twentytwo13 as we break boundaries and bring you the people’s perspective on GE15.
PRINCE CHARLES’ RECORD CHASE
Speaking of politics, following British prime minister Liz Truss’ resignation, BBC journalist Philip Sim joked: ‘On current pace, King Charles could surpass his mother’s record of 15 prime ministers before the end of 2024.’
Truss was in power for only 44 days, much shorter than the tenures of Malaysian prime ministers Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (17 months) and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (14 months).
BEWARE THE XBB VARIANT WAVE
Covid-19’s new variant, the XBB, is in Singapore and the Philippines. The worry is that it will soon arrive in Malaysia.
The XBB variant is Singapore’s second worst of the pandemic. It has a reinfection rate of up to 17 per cent, from five per cent a week ago.
The Philippines detected its first case three days ago.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the variant is already in 24 other countries.
In Malaysia, there was a 2,369 increase in the number of new cases with 13,930 infections taking the total to 4,877,387.
The good news is that 10,936 patients received the all-clear in the past week, taking recoveries to 4,814,421.
There were 25 deaths in the past week, taking fatalities to 36,440.
Worldwide, there are 632,438,082 cases, and 6,581,228 fatalities.
EXORA TRIANGLE
Everyone knows about the Bermuda Triangle, but I am experiencing a Proton Exora Triangle.
Since the first Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18, 2020, things have mysteriously disappeared from my car.
The first was a tripod, then a box of coffee capsules, and recently, my smart tag and Petronas Mesra card (Smart Tag PLUS, or smart tag for the office?) I need to call Mulder and Scully!
SHRIKHAND PARFAIT
Food journalist and author Mark Bittman has something interesting this week. Since Deepavali is on Monday, this might be of some interest to our readers.
HAPPY DEEPAVALI
We end this week’s Diary with a Deepavali song.
Until next week, stay safe.
