A New Malaysia

As most Malaysians celebrate a new Malaysia, a colleague of mine grieved for her elder boy, who was 4 years old, who passed away after a short illness on Mother's Day.

I cannot imagine the pain and heart wrenching situation she was in as she is also 9 months pregnant and due in 2 weeks time.  

Meanwhile, some of us are clueless as to what had happened.  Some said it was meningitis, some said it was some bacteria infection that made the brain swell, some said he had sleep fits before he died.  I don't want to speculate, but the thought of my girl too had fits before scares me.

Because of all these, I am going to take back all the things I said about my girl.  I am becoming paranoid and I am hoping she grows up well and healthy.  No more health scare.  So, from now on, I am not going to brag about my daughter, no matter how smart she is.  We certainly don't need the negative attention on us.  

OK, back to the new Malaysia.  Would like to document our experience of that day well, so that we can remember this as long as we can and so that we can share this story to our children.

Voting day was on 9th May 2018.  On that day, me and my sister went to the polling station at about 10am.  The queue was already from the school's main gate.  The SPR officers were a bit blur and not organised.  One told us the queue for our Saluran.  Another said this is not the right queue.  So many of us who were in line were as confused.  At the same time, many were like getting ready to fight with words.  The air was such that people were just ready to fight, anytime when anyone see any wrongdoing or something that they felt not right.  Some of the issues that arise were a misunderstanding but because everyone was ready to be vocal about anything, there was a woman who was shouting loudly and scolding the SPR officers, when they can't do anything about it too.  Was happy to see a police officer there helping the voters to voice out the concerns.  

The weird part about this round of voting is all senior citizens were told to go upstairs while our queue is mainly young voters was for the classroom downstairs.  Those on wheel chairs have to queue up in Saluran 1 and apparently that was the longest queue as it was moving rather slow.  So, many senior citizens would rather climb the stairs than to go to the special counter.  

I am glad that none of them were discouraged to vote.  Despite queuing in the hot sun and standing, not sitting, everyone was so determine to do something for the country.

After queuing in the hot sun for almost an hour, it was finally our turn to enter the classroom.  I gave my IC to the first clerk who verified my face and checked my hands to ensure no ink then she read out my name and IC number aloud.  Second clerk dipped my left forefinger into the indelible ink 3 times and the third clerk tore out the ballot papers from the booklet and folded into quarters before passing it to me.  They were all smiley and friendly.

With the ballot papers, I walked into the writing area to put my cross on the ballot paper.  The indelible ink dried very fast and I didn't use any tissue to wipe.  Although it had dried, but I was worried that I might stain the ballot papers and so I was holding the finger up carefully as not to touch anything.  In the writing area, a blue pen was given which is attached to a string.  I unfolded the ballot paper and check if there was an SPR stamp.  Earlier, while in queue, there were people who complained that some ballot papers were not stamped and therefore void.  I was so nervous about the whole thing, that I quickly crossed at the person I wanted to vote for without even reading if the names are correct.  I just marked next to the logo of the party that I wanted to support.  In my haste, I didn't even check twice if I marked correctly.  And quickly folded it into quarters and put into the respective ballot boxes and was out within 5 minutes.

We left the polling stations and helped informed some other voters about the queue as we saw the queue is now flowing into the main road.

Certain things we hope the SPR would take note for the next elections are:

1. Senior citizens to be located downstairs.

2. Inform the queue for the saluran properly.  If need to, put up temporary sign board or have an SPR officer for each saluran to hold up an A4 paper announcing which queue is for which saluran.

3. SPR officers to memorise the saluran correctly.  So if someone ask, can answer properly instead of asking us back.

4. Learn to manage the crowd properly.

5. Probably can forget about the indelible ink but use the IC and biometric identification using thumbprint (like in banks) to verify our identity.  Simple and easy.  Been wondering about it a lot.  How come if banks can do it, why not the SPR?

The polling station I was in was a small school but the crowd there was too much.  Since there were many bees in the bonnet this year, we also became one of them, trying to guide the crowd to the correct saluran.

Back home, we just relax while wait for 5pm to come.  I had a nice nap as the night before was too anxious and didn't sleep well.  When I woke up at 4.30pm, saw a lot of messages asking people to quickly go and queue up as the queue were super long.  That they have to be in the polling station before 5pm.  Sometimes I wondered why some people like to do things last minute.  Go early and queue.  No matter how early, you won't miss voting because there is not a queue that will be 5 hours long.  Max is about 4 hours.  Haha.

When the polling stations close at 5pm and the counting started, we waited patiently and cautiously for the results.  Meanwhile there were a lot of videos about some KTM refusing to sign the Form 14 to declare the results, some blackouts in certain places during the counting session, citizens were guarding the polling stations so that no funny business going about and citizens drove and follow behind the cars which carried the ballot boxes to make sure it is not switched.

I must say, this election, everyone regardless of race, religion or sex, all came out to help, whether volunteer or not.  The most 1Malaysia election that I have ever participated.

Wait and wait.  The results were on par with each other.  One racing the other.  Messages kept coming in.  Screenshots of the result kept appearing.  I was busy handling 4 chat groups at the same time while glued to my phone for results.  SPR said by 10pm we should have the result, but no sign of it.  Certain states were completely stopped.  The numbers doesn't appear or increase at all.  11pm came.  Some states already declared, but many still on hold.  What's going on?

12am came.  Found that SPR is withholding the results for some reasons.  1am still nothing.  2am.  Still no sign of any party winning.  Something is not right.  I wanted to sleep but at the same time too excited and worried if I woke up, there might be bad news.  But 2.30am I slept off.  Can't stand anymore.  

By 3.30am, woke up for toilet break and saw 100s over messages of congratulations.  Sat in the toilet as not to disturb my girl and husband and read all the messages.  Wow, the results came in and the new government was formed.  2 more days public holidays.

Went back to bed at about 6am after informing my parents.  Woke up at 9am together with my girl and was wondering what to do on such a nice day since I don't have to work.  

Messages came pouring in.  Found that the new PM is not sworn in yet as promised.  What's going on?  So everyone was on their toes and kept on waiting.  New time to be sworn in at 5pm.  Waited and waited.  Many citizens even went to the palace to wait.  Then another time was announced.  9.30pm.  At 9.30pm, we put on the live telecast on TV.  Still no sign of the swearing in ceremony.  Waited until 9.50pm and then it happened.  And such relieved came over all of us.

On 11th May, still a public holiday.  With a sigh of relieve, we went to celebrate in our own way.  A new era is starting and our hearts felt so light.  And we start making up for that day that we didn't sleep, waiting for results.  Hopefully a new dawn has come.

Let's pray for the 93 years old PM.  May he live a long life and healthy always.