ELECTIONS in a democracy provide us with the opportunity for stocktaking and returning a new batch, not necessarily all new faces, of lawmakers to Parliament.

In an election, the electorate’s verdict can change the course of a nation’s history for better or worse.

In the context of the multiplicity of political thinking in our country, on racial, religious and even parochial lines, a voter is more inclined to be swayed by glibness and demagogue which politicians tantalisingly use to woo naive voters.

This explains why politicians loathe facing their voters during their term of office.

Then there are those MPs especially with their style of expressions, impolitic, impolite and unparliamentary, have earned the wrath, if not only of the public but also some of their level-headed colleagues in Parliament.

Joining them are the corrupt, the recalcitrant and the machismo that flaunt their idiosyncratic behaviour without any remorse.

Like elsewhere in the world, the Malaysian voter too is prone to vote on party lines, and it just does not matter to him who, in the process, jumps on the bandwagon.

He does not also care whether the wrong or right man is in the party of his choice. The party stalwarts, though handicapped with these elected “liabilities”, have no choice but to be content with their presence in Parliament.

The blame for this predicament rests squarely on the shoulders of the voter who lets him be duped by deception and craftiness.

What then is the hope? The only hope then the electorate have is in the wisdom of those party stalwarts to ensure that the “thorns in the flesh” are weeded out and not given a chance at getting elected.

In their place, the electorate would very much like to see educated nominees of proven record, unblemished character, ardent defenders of the Constitution and people who are endowed with discriminatory prowess.

N. GANGADHARAN,

Petaling Jaya.

Source: The Star – January 13, 2008