Many Malaysians are both unhappy with the current Barisan Nasional-Harapan government and not impressed by the Perikatan Nasional opposition. Their displeasure is very understandable. The current government has been slow to deliver promised reforms, and in particular slow to address the issues of corruption that have been plaguing Malaysia. The Perikatan Nasional opposition has been passive and ineffective, other than harping on divisive issues of race and religion.

These Malaysians are often deciding not to vote, or deciding to turn in a spoiled vote as a way to voice their unhappiness with both sides.

I would like to suggest that voting for a third-party or independent candidate is a more effective way to register your protest, and get the governing powers in Malaysia to take your concerns seriously. Most elections in Malaysia have more than two candidates on the ballot.

The act of not voting sends a vague easily misinterpreted signal. In fact, low voting rates can be interpreted as a sign of indifference, that the voters don’t care about what is going on in this country. Corrupt politicians are delighted when voters are indifferent, since this means that the voters are not paying attention to their corrupt actions. So by not voting, we may embolden corrupt politicians.

In contrast, if third-party or independent candidates get a higher vote share than expected, even if they don’t win, this is a clear signal that voters are searching for alternatives. This will worry politicians from both the government and opposition, since if this trend continues they are at risk of losing their seats and their power.

Furthermore, a high vote count for third parties and independents will encourage stronger candidates to run for election next time. Often at PSM we can identify very good candidates for certain seats, but those candidates are often reluctant to run because historically third parties and independents get very low votes in those seats. So by voting third party, you are encouraging better candidates to run in your area in the next election.

Sometimes voters are reluctant to vote for third party candidates and independents because they don’t know much about them. Without the wealth and resources of a major political party, these candidates often struggle to get noticed. I encourage you to give them a chance – do some research to find out who these candidates are and why they are running. They often run for more idealistic reasons, and they can have good ideas to improve their state or country – in contrast to major party politicians who are often running for election because they want to make politics their career.

We are a country in dire need of fresh vision and fresh ideas. So rather than not voting or spoiling your vote, please consider giving a chance for fresh voices to enter our parliaments and state assemblies

Prof. Darren Ong

Chairperson

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (Dengkil)