Elections - why they won again.

In the past months leading up to the elections in Sarawak, all sorts of dirt had been revealed regarding the condescension and mistreatment of the people of the state under the leadership of the Sarawakian Chief Minister and the ruling party. The reaction of outrage and renunciation of the deceitful government was, in the eyes of optimists, a sign of resolute change. People across the nation, tired of the tyranny of the ruling government, kept watch, prayed and rooted for the opposition's victory in the state that wasn't their own.

But all the pre-election drama has only resulted in the re-election of the same ol' same ol'. I am not surprised, but  I am still disappointed. Despite the good fight that the opposition parties have put up, the "oppressors" have yet again won, but it's not as simple an explanation as they won again because the people want them.

So, if the people didn't want them, how did they win?

1. The people who hear: "Vote for us and we will give you two lawnmowers for your football field." Poverty and Desperation. And Ignorance. A vast majority of the people of Sabah and Sarawak live in conditions so poor that a promise like this is enough to win their hearts. Their remote locations and lack of access to media not controlled by the government means that all that they get is what they are told they can get. Occasionally the authorities will come in and build them a bridge, or 50 metres of a concrete road at the end of a 4-hour off road journey into their village.

A deed is followed swiftly by messages and speeches by the leaders, reminding them how unbelievable privileged they are for this utility, that the villagers should be so grateful they must bow down and worship and vote for them the next time. All their requests for other developments will be heard (Done is another story). And we will give you a lawnmower for your football field on top of that. Otherwise the opposition will lead them astray and all their world will turn into the post-apocalypse world of ash and rubble. Or something similar.

It's easy for people like me to identify bullshit because we've experienced it ourselves, we've see it happening to others and we hear about it from all sorts of media. But when you are living in the middle of no where, and the only sound is what you hear from neighbouring villagers who have just been granted a facility they have been asking for for a decade, and your district office is a minion of the government, I can see why voters will go back to the same ol' same ol'. Just like how a wife will stay with her abusive husband.

So I cannot laugh and point at Sarawak for voting the same guys again, and say to them you get the government you deserve. It just means we have to work harder at opening eyes.

2. The people who say "vote for us and we will give you two lawnmowers for your football field." Bribery and Corruption. While the previous point was made from personal observations, here's something that I read today revealing the other gifts that come out of the woodwork only at election time.

* The power of incumbency
Conservative estimates suggest that the BN spent more than RM500 million on these hotly contested elections. Last night, the going rate in Miri was RM1,000 per identity card and apparently RM7,000 in Ba’Kelalan.
In addition to cold cash, the BN election machinery was supported by the impressive government machinery, from Kemas officials watching over longhouses to education officials working the ground.
Even the government-linked companies were out in full force in Sarawak, doling out gifts and opening bank branches, etc.
The point is that when PR go to battle, they are up against Umno, MCA, SUPP, PBB, Maybank, Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times, PDRM, EC, Pos Malaysia, AirAsia, etc.

Full article "Five things We Learned in Sarawak" here.

This is the culture that we have been taught, that we have lived, and need to say a determined "no" to.

I feel like I'm writing about abusive relationships. Not too different, methinks.

Ok my next point in why they won again. In shorter sentences.

3. Who the hell are we supposed to vote for? Choosing the lesser evil.  The dilemma with many voters is the doubt in opposing parties. Shall I vote for this imbecile or that idiot? The sex pest or the pervert? The racist or the supremacist? Maybe I'll stick to who I know, at least I know it's expected and won't get any surprises.

I suppose I get this dilemma. But I also get that voting for the other guys is a statement. It says, I don't like you any more because you haven't treated me right and I'm finding another boyfriend  government. It will also say the same thing to the opposition: "And if YOU don't treat me right, I will vote you out too."

4. They're okay what. They treat me right. The Malaise-ian. It's sad, but true. Witnessing this attitude makes be believe that the 1Malaysia slogan is just a slogan with flat tyres. Many bandwagoners will see the 1Malaysia vehicle and will not acknowledge the fact it is not really going anywhere.

(And okay, before you kill me for the next paragraph, they are not my personal opinions/accusations. They are generalisations for the purpose of the illustration of my point.)

The Chinese will vote for a Chinese-led party, they'll take care of themselves and most probably mostly themselves. The Malays will vote for the Muslim-centric government, because voting otherwise will mean they are traitors to their religion. The Indians - well in Sarawak there aren't many Indians, so there isn't really a strong Indian-led party, and and since they've lived an okay life under the current guys, might as well vote for them again. Okay what.

Er, that's great, but you're being selfish bastards. Or maybe you are just blinded as needed. There are over 5 million people in your own country who don't fall into the racial categories fit for use in tv commercials who do not need your pity but your sympathy.

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There. I said it.