I admit I hadn't planned for this, but seeing that I recently revived this blog, I figured what it obviously need the most is more content. Diverse contents, beyond just me retreating back to nurse my wounds each time my head went into an emotional supernova from excessive writing and overthinking personal issues.
I haven't indulged in photography for nearly a year now, with my Nikon D5000 sitting in a lower cabinet in my room eating up stale mothballs. No, I am not a photographer by trade and I'm not exactly all nerdy goggled about shutter speeds, ISOs, and overtechnical thingamajig. My knowledge in handling a DSLR camera is good enough to operate Programmed Auto and a few simple understanding of the Manual setting. My only real concern is capturing the moment and nothing else, so I thought with nothing to do on the 5th of May 2013, why don't I leave the social network behind for awhile and observe outside of what went on during Election Day?
First and foremost, I'm a non-voter out of choice. Call me a fence sitter despite my refusal to name calling voters to an opposite equivalent. Denigrate me all you want for being irresponsible towards the future of this country despite having not made equivalent attempts to demonize those who vote. I have my own reasons shaped from certain things I had read, seen, and experienced around me, which is rather complicated to explain but either way will earn me the ire of both sides regardless. There is room for dynamic allegiance in a democracy without popularly imposing narrow choices in case one found my stance to be ironically troublesome to accept.
When I arrived at SMK Kelana Jaya around 1730 hours (it was right across the road from my apartment), there were still a number of people gathering in front of the barred main gate, signalling an end to voting (polls closed around 1700 hours). Despite the relatively low significance of this constituency, voters were anxious waiting for any news of voting results. Of the hotly contested areas widely covered by the medias from both divide in this country, it seems low priority constituencies like this tend to be ignored, which made me feel glad that I was covering this, even if I was there simply to observe and write on my own will.
This particular contested area is SS4 of Kelana Jaya between MCA and DAP candidates (should I even mention there was an Independent candidate?). Yes, I didn't ask for too many details nor do I find it of any importance to a non-voter like me. People and the going-ons seemed the only relevance to why my presence exist here. Everyone voted for a reason so I asked around to get a feel of what the voters are thinking. Their chief concerns ranged from crimerates to punishing the government for not doing the job they promised to do. Most of these people I've spoken to were largely middle-aged folks who often told me of the good old times when Malaysia was a safer country. One of the aunties even knew personally the robbery victim who was stabbed to death during the Bukit Gasing incident a month back. Other than politics, I struck up an interesting intelligent conversation with a young man seven years my junior. Religion, philosophy, the works. A rare encounter with someone who could render the so-called 'university students' during my UNITAR days into a quivering unintelligible mess.
Voting or not, I found this particular photo op moment too powerful to be passed off. Symbolic to those who still believe, at least.
Pemuda BN making a show of strength, intimidating nearby voters and spectators by circling about with their loud motorcycles. They permanently disperse from the scene as soon as the police showed up. Seeing the relative insignificance of this area, I can already guess it's not worth their unintentionally sponsored paycheck to risk any physical violence.
From time to time, these folks (center, sitting by the table) would come out to announce and update the voting tally for each candidate. Again, I didn't ask too much and chose to simply listen. One of them struck a conversation with me. I think her name is Gene, Jean, or something. It was great talking to someone who actually made me feel Malaysian!
With reports continually emerging of spoiled ballot boxes and other attempts to tamper with the voting process, these voters decided not to take any chances and voluntarily inspect civilian vehicles entering the school perimeter. It was peaceful and everyone was in their best behaviour that even the police did not find it to be a cause of concern.
2100 hours: even though there was still one or two ballot boxes left to count, the results were clear: DAP won this constituency. Five hundred plus votes over the MCA's hundred plus. Should I even mention the Independent candidate with three votes? Sensing it was about time I leave (I had overstayed longer than planned), I spoke to for one last time every remaining people I had the pleasure to chat with, and wished them the farewell. I left forgetting the one important thing yet to be crossed on the to-do list: a haircut. Unlike elections, Haircuts happen once every two and a half months for me. There's always another day for that.
Of course, that's one victory for the opposition, yet elsewhere the votecount continues. Will Malaysians maintain the current status quo, or will they give alternate governance a choice? As the day went three hours into tomorrow, the results were clear: by rusty hooks or by the thousand paid crooks, the ruling government is here to stay. The best the opposition could do is deny a two-thirds majority, square one as they did five years ago. No surprises, no surprises at all.
The Volksraad hurled their proud fists in the air as their zealots cheered "long live the leader!" in celebration of their questionably unquestionable victory. The battered Rebel Alliance kept their injuries bandaged tight and hidden from plain sight, declaring to their loyalists that they are determined to fight on another day even as blood seeped through their fabric dressing. The awful truth is nobody really wins, and nobody ever does. Not as long as we live in a tiny music box which we had repeatedly danced to the same tune. Not as long as we believe free choices exist in two flavours which remains good for the next infinite loop.
Yet I still believe there may be winners still; not the politicians, but the people who tried to make the best of things, and make them happen the best they could, no matter the side they're on. That at least, is a consolation we could somehow agree upon.
Or the warmth of the strangers I met had rubbed onto me and subsequently softened my fervent skepticism, maybe.
"They say truth is the first casualty of war. But who defines what's true? Truth is just a matter of perspective... The only truth I found is that the world we live in is a giant tinderbox. All it takes is someone to light the match." - John Price
