Why Vote?
Does my vote mean anything? Why vote when nothing changes?
Because of your votes in GE14, the Undi 18 Bill has been passed to allow all Malaysians aged 18 and above to vote.
Everyone who are eligible to vote but have never registered are now automatically on the electoral roll.
Overseas Malaysians no longer need to travel to the Malaysian embassy or consulate to register as voters.
All they need to do is open a MySPR account online now to register for postal voting later (the date will be announced by the Election Commission).
I don’t think my vote matters. I am just one person.
The collective votes during GE14 led to changes like the constitutional amendment (Undi 18 Bill), which lowers the voting age from 21 to 18.
This will enable 5.8 million new voters who represent one-fifth of Malaysia’s population to vote in the next general election.
The minimum age for Malaysian citizens to run in federal and state elections is also 18. This empowers the youths.
Why bother voting when our votes are not honoured?
Besides changing the leadership, GE14 also brought important changes like the anti-hopping law that holds elected representatives accountable to their voters.
It helps to ensure that something like Langkah Sheraton will not happen again as MPs will lose their seats if they jump to another party. This brings more political stability to the country.
Why vote for a better Malaysia when crime goes unpunished?
Your votes can support a strong judiciary system. Former PM Najib Tun Razak is finally serving his 12-year prison sentence for seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving SRC International’s RM42 millions of funds.
His wife Rosmah Mansor has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined RM970 million for three corruption charges related to a solar power project for schools in Sarawak.
Former FELDA chairperson Mohd Isa Abdul Samad was sentenced to six years’ jail and fined RM15.45 million for nine charges of corruption.
-----
Global Bersih is an international movement of overseas Malaysians, created to support Malaysian civil society’s work and strengthen Malaysia’s maturing democracy, using peaceful and legal means of action. Please visit our social media platforms to find out more
