I want you to make this your New Year Resolution. Come 1 January 2010, make sure you get at least one person to register as a voter -- if you can get more than one to register, even better. Just through your efforts alone we can get at least half those not yet registered to vote to become registered voters.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Half-a-million Perakians yet to register as voters
There are about 500,000 qualified voters in Perak who have yet to register themselves with the Election Commission.
Perak Election Commission director Ahmad Adli Abdullah said the figure consists mostly of those who had just passed the majority age of 21.
”We are using various channels to get the younger generation to register themselves,” he said after a banner presentation ceremony at the Ipoh Post Office here on Wednesday.
”We are also getting politicians to help their constituents to register,” he said, adding that it was the people’s duty as citizens to register themselves to vote.
He noted that there were about 1.2 million registered voters in the state, consisting of about 1.1 million regular voters and about 29,000 postal voters.
Ahmad Adli said the post office was a preferred place for young voters to register.
However, he said many people were still unaware that they could register or change their voting address at post offices throughout the state.
”We will be hiring more staff to man the counters at post offices and would also be going down to the ground into rural areas to urge village heads to help us,” he said.
He said the Commission would also get lists from various government departments to check on their employees’ registration status. – The Star
*************************************************
That was what The Star reported today. And this is only for the state of Perak, mind you. What about the other states? All told there are an estimated 4-5 million eligible voters not registered as voters yet.
Take note that Pakatan Rakyat needed only 300,000 more votes to form the federal government in the last general election in March 2008. That’s right, only 300,000 more votes, if you total up the votes from the bottom 30 seats that Barisan Nasional won. If Pakayat Rakyat had garnered those extra 300,000 votes it would have won 112 parliament seats versus Barisan Nasional’s 110 instead of only 82 versus Barisan Nasional’s 130, like what happened last year.
Pakatan Rakyat is good when it comes to ceramahs. But how many times must we remind them that they are preaching to the already converted? They need to preach to the unconverted. And when the unconverted are not even registered voters yet, what good will it do even if you manage to convert them during ceramahs but they will not be voting come the next election?
We have been saying this time and again. Get those millions to register as voters. Then, get them committed to coming out to vote during the elections. As it is, only 70% to 75% of the registered voters come out to vote. And this has been a ‘steady trend’ since Merdeka 52 years ago. This means only half the eligible voters bother to vote. What chance does Pakatan Rakyat have when only half of Malaysians who can vote actually vote?
This should be the top priority for 2010. Pakatan Rakyat must launch a massive voter registration exercise. I know many who bitch, grumble and complain about the government but who have either never voted in their life or are not even registered to vote. You see many of them guzzling beer at the Long Bar in the Selangor Club offering their opinions on what is wrong with the country and what should be done and then go home pissed drunk thinking that they have done their bit for God, King and Country.
We can continue writing in the Blogs and on the Internet about what is wrong with this country and constantly expose the wrongdoings of the government. The politicians can criss-cross the country giving ceramahs to those in the rural areas who have no access to the Internet. But if this effort is not translated into votes then it would be a wasted effort.
The message is getting through. Those in the rural areas who attend ceramahs and the Internet-savvy Malaysians who read Blogs know what is wrong. They understand that changes are necessary and that the only way we will see change is to vote for the right government. But if they will not be voting in the election then what good will that do?
Maybe it is time that the rakyat take matters into their own hands. Maybe it is time that the rakyat launch a voter-get-voter campaign. If every registered voter can convince one family member, neighbour, friend, office colleague, or whatever, to register as a voter, then the four or five million Malaysians who have not yet registered as voters would become registered voters in no time at all.
I want you to make this your New Year Resolution. Come 1 January 2010, make sure you get at least one person to register as a voter -- if you can get more than one to register, even better. Just through your efforts alone we can get at least half those not yet registered to vote to become registered voters.
The game plan should be:
1. Get them to register as voters.
2. Get them to come out to vote on Polling Day.
3. Who they vote for is of course their business and their constitutional right -- but guide them on what they should look for when deciding whom to vote for.
Ultimately, we can only convince them to register as voters and to come out to vote. It is still up to them who they want to vote for. The crucial job thereafter is to turn all these registered voters into INFORMED VOTERS so that when they go to the polling station on Polling Day they will know what is the right thing to do.
And this is where the Blogs, Internet and ceramahs will have to play that role. But even if they do play that role but these ‘convinced people’ will not be voting then we shall see no benefit to all this effort.
My 2010 New Year Resolution: Voter-get-voter campaign. Make that your New Year Resolution as well.
Translated into Chinese at: http://xtremeapril.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post_20.html
Translated into BM at: http://gomalaysian.blogspot.com/2009/12/raja-petra-apa-ni-pakatan-rakyat.html
written by Rainbowseahorse, December 21, 2009 06:04:11
Bad poster and bad image!
-
- +1
-
-
written by Rainbowseahorse, December 21, 2009 06:01:28
Time to wake up and haul those yet to register Malayans to the nearest voters registrar office so that they can vote out the BN in the next GE.
-
- +2
-
-
written by anon, December 20, 2009 12:15:20
Let us see for ourselves the change in the next GE. I pray for the betterment of this country and all Malaysians.
-
- +1
-
-
written by stanyau, December 19, 2009 10:09:09
The old man has said that many times. Malaysians are very forgiving and they forgive and forget very fast. That is our Malaysian style and this cultural shock is damaging.
-
- +4
-
-
written by capricorn, December 18, 2009 06:17:00
-
- +6
-
-
written by chin, December 18, 2009 03:25:33
No, I dont think it about creating a multi-racial party.
A Malay dominated BN party is just a bigger UMNO with improved public image. This is in respond to a completely useless MIC and Gerakan and soon to be defunct MCA. A "mutiracial UMNO" will cream Pakatan in the next election.
A little bit more of that feel good propaganda and some sweeteners, and the reborned UMNO will rule the country again with a polished veneer and the same old same old leadership underneath.
Najib is not as dumb as Badawi and is certainly capable of strategic thinking. He has got most of the UMNO racist rhetoric in check and is creating a new image through Nazri. I wont put it pass him to cut some baggage like Budak Yatim, Muyyidick and Kerismuddin. It seems clear that these 3 have another agenda.
Why share the loot with with these pricks when you can get the support you need from the non-Malay without sharing the loot with the other UMNO warlords.
Unless Pakatan can bring up their game and strategy, Pakatan is looking at some big embarrassing losses next GE.
Having some Islamic extremist in the party isn't exactly a great way to attract non-Malay or liberal Malay votes no matter how many more new voters there are. And having incompetent leaders don't exactly give the middle class much to hope for.
-
- +8
-
-
written by Romp, December 18, 2009 00:36:12
The people have to unite! the people have to stand up! The people have to make the initiative! The people have to fcuking wake up!
We all have to brave the giant. because our freedom has been robbed by BN.
-
- +12
-
-
written by jjia17, December 17, 2009 23:46:57
SABM is aggressive in our voters registration drive....
Watch out for 2010!
We, the people are taking the matters into our hand!
-
- +5
-
-
written by asguard, December 17, 2009 22:39:30
-
- +4
-
-
written by Navigator, December 17, 2009 15:49:18
-
- +0
-
-
written by Aizad 234, December 17, 2009 15:37:31
-
- +4
-
-
written by mowadoha, December 17, 2009 14:59:18
-
- +10
-
-
written by mowadoha, December 17, 2009 14:55:18
(Frank Tibolt)
-
- +4
-
-
written by arazak, December 17, 2009 13:31:22
“You are one. With me, we are two” . . ., (Hussein Hamid, Steadyaku47)
-
- +7
-
-
written by Fart Fart Wah, December 17, 2009 13:18:47
-
- +3
-
-
written by fireduck, December 17, 2009 13:04:34
-
- +5
-
-
written by kenny, December 17, 2009 12:15:30
This is Malaysia-Today! I thought of keeping quiet initially but the importance of MT to Malaysia brought back this comment.
Anyone reading the first 10 comments will find 4 commenters had contributed their comments without reading the article AT ALL!!! They commented based on the title and assumed that it was a continuation of yesterday's bashing of Pakatan MPs!
Not one, not two, but 4 out of 10! Whoooooshh.....!!
-
- +6
-
-
written by kenny, December 17, 2009 11:34:33
One of the easiest ways to convince the unregistered voters is to SUPPLY and politely get them to read the printed(translated) exposures of the many scandals of the government. These people may be indifferent or ignorant but are mostly decent humans just like us; and once their curiosity is triggered, they may even impatiently ask for more printouts. On our part along the way, educate and motivate them on the importance and duty of being a voter. Once you feel they are NTB-ed, drive them to the post office if required. (NTB here refers to BTN in reverse; it also means No To Barisan)
Well, people say that talk is easy; that's simply because to those people, being lazy is easier. Anyway, if we need any motivation here ourselves, I would like to have this repeated: If we can't even help with this tiny effort of registering voters, not only would we deserve this government; Malaysia will collapse on your children!
Friends, allow me to reproduce part of an old comment in response to a dear fellow commenter:-
written by kenny, December 30, 2007 23:47:09
"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who do not do anything about it".(Albert Einstein)
If we value our birthplace, there is a price to pay. If we do not, there's a bigger and long-term price to pay. Emigration is never an easy option for most people.
I have willingly marched in the choking teargas and have personally fetched some friends for voter registration and also converted some BN voters, not to mention tens of my extended family members. This, I think is something one should do; because having the knowledge to know the difference, will mean nothing, if one does not have the courage to make the difference. At least we can tell the children with a straight face that we did fight for them.
Let us solve our ills together, rather than being divided- that's a strategy of the UMNO regime we ought not to be inspired with.
-----------------------------------------------
Dear friends, for the next GE, we must amass the fullest support possible and win with an overwhelming majority so powerful that the traitors would prefer fleeing than staying to destabilize the country.
Let's put our skates on and register the voters now to prevent the collapse of Malaysia.
-
- +15
-
-
written by nagappan, December 17, 2009 11:21:00
I always wondered, as an ordinary person what I can do to help in all the big things you are doing. Now you have shown me a way. I have identified five persons whom I can convince to register as voters. I will do it. Thanks for showing me how I can help. Be blessed.
-
- +11
-
-
written by imanj, December 17, 2009 11:15:46
Wish I could register my child and her two cousins but unfortunately they are way behind the age limit....ah shucks..
-
- +6
-
-
written by cilimalaysia, December 17, 2009 11:09:44
-
- +7
-
-
written by jokersland, December 17, 2009 10:35:52
-
- +5
-
-
written by batsman, December 17, 2009 10:22:44
I am sure the police will turn a blind eye to these instead of the bloody suppression if such activities were directed at UMNO.
-
- -2
-
-
written by malsia1206, December 17, 2009 09:12:53
-
- +8
-
-
written by BAYANGKARA, December 17, 2009 08:58:22
Then when my nephews and nieces come around for their angpows, I'll extract from them a promise to register.
Working on 50 votes for PR.
-
- +17
-
-
written by Divine, December 17, 2009 08:27:02
Is PR still relevant? I know it is obvious that BeEnd has check-mated many of the former's efforts but there is still a lot they could have done since Mar08. DSAI is going to be plagued with all the present allegations. PR cannot be looking at him for leadership. I can't deny his prowess in oratory skills. but that is all that is. Rhetoric is not getting PR anywhere. We need RPK or Zaid to lead.
-
- -11
-
-
written by Debbie, December 17, 2009 08:25:52
shalom and hope that malaysians do really realise that we have a dickhead pm.
-
- +0
-
-
written by justice, December 17, 2009 08:13:22
So far I have convinced more than 15,000 voters to vote against UMNO-BN, what's your number? I will aim for another 10,000 in 2010!!
If you don't want your hard-earned tax money goes wasted into the hands of corrupt UMNO-BN goons and those of 'Useless Parasites', let's start working now!! Together we can make Malaysia a better place for all Malaysians!!
-
- +31
-
-
written by hengdes, December 17, 2009 08:01:39
I will personally bring them to the post office to register. That's my commitment. What about yours?
-
- +15
-
-
Other than voter registration , to weaken the other side we must convince some BN supporters to change sides , this year alone I convinced 2(two) hardcore BN supporters, one from MCA and one from UMNO to change sides come next GE, that takes soft persuasion, I would have never believed that these 2 would vote against BN but am glad that I engaged them.
Dear comrades , there is hope, remember when a BN supporter argues with you in an unreasonable manner , its sometimes their conscience pricking at them, never give up, the truth oftentimes prevails, and if you failed dont fret, you gave it your best shot, that is all that matters.
The problem is not about people not doing enough, it is about not doing what you can, remember alone you may think what you do is insignificant, but collectively we are powerful.
Vijay Kumar Murugavell