AT the time I am writing this month’s thoughts, I had just returned from the first Ceramah Kelompok in Subang Jaya organised by the Harapan team led by incumbent ADUN Subang Jaya Michelle Ng.
I took a three-hour break from my editorial work and even skipped dinner to hop over to Laman Sukan USJ1 to listen to the different speakers who shared with us why we should come out and vote and not be complacent thinking that our one vote won’t make a difference.
The crowd swelled to its maximum capacity under the covered area while the speakers took to the stage one by one to share their thoughts with us. Midway, more chairs were brought out for the people who had just arrived and were standing at the grass area. The crowd wasn’t in its usual cheery and loud mode; instead they listened to the speakers and nodded their heads in agreement. The “reds” and the “blues” sat side by side, taking turns to share some comments over their shoulders as the speakers touched on the Unity Government and how we, the voters should play our part in ensuring the continuity of the good that’s coming from a stable government.
The “crowd” on social media (the ceramah was broadcast live on Facebook) was not something to shout about. It wasn’t as I said earlier the usual lively and cheery crowd. It was a sober audience; unlike the boisterous ones during GE15 last year.
The lull is worrying for parties on all sides of the political divide. Subang Jaya is facing a three-cornered fight for the state seat. Have voters grown weary and are they at the brink of exhaustion, having not fully recovered and regained their enthusiasm since GE15? The chatter at coffee shops isn’t as lively as it used to be. Everyone seems to have either made up their minds about who they want as their state representative or they are silently suffering in confusion.
As a voter, I believe that it is my responsibility to vote for the person or party I trust can bring the best for my constituency. Voting is a right and it is of utmost importance for us to exercise that right. Imagine if we thought our favourite candidate would still win even without our one vote; only to turn out that he or she lost the seat by just ONE vote. Can we live with that regret for the next five years?
Subang Jaya on the other hand is not an easy catch for catchy slogans or chest-beating candidates. We are not enticed by promises made just to sweeten the lips. We are not the type who fall for drama kings or queens either. We want what we want; and we know what we want. A few of us may have hinted on what Subang Jaya is like; and probably even gave a bigger hint on what is reality and what is fantasy.
In many ways, Subang Jaya folks are a bit insulated from the dramas that happen in Parliament. We just want what is due to us in our little enclave we call home. We can be demanding at times; we can be forceful but overall we are peace loving folks. Do not however think we won’t sting like a swarm of bees if you stir our homes and insult our intelligence.
August 12 has been set as the day we decide who we want as our state representative. Our incumbent ADUN Subang Jaya Michelle Ng is asking us to give her another term to complete several unfinished business. At the ceramah, she shared the good news about the Klinik Kesihatan and promised that, that will be one of the priorities in her agenda to see completed in the new term that she is asking us to give to her. (Read about the Klinik Kesihatan on Page 4)
Whoever your choice may be, vote wisely and maturely. Think about what good your vote can bring and think about how you can be part of the change for the better. Don’t waste your vote.
See you at the polls on August 12.
