SPEAK UP

8th March, the day!

This will be my 2nd time voting. I still remember my very 1st time voting. As the venue took place just 200meters from my house, I took my own sweet time... By noon, my mom urged me to go... "Pergi, jangan pergi last minit, lagi ramai orang nanti."

So I went alone. I'm the eldest. My sisters and brother were still not eligeble. Fuh... I still remember feeling so adult and proud! As I was in the long, crooked que, I wondered...

Makcik Biah tu undi sapa agaknyer...Tu, Datin K, fulamak... bling-bling dia... silau mata ni... dari tadi berkipas jer... Haah kan , patut aku bawak kipas sate kat rumah tadi.. Eh, tu budak yang selalu nampak lepak kat bangsar! Dulu dia pernah kena papah kluar Modesto's. Aik? Pegang bendera PAS and Keadilan? Looking around, i saw some familiar faces. Didi Alias, man... she's so thin! Hey, tu pakcik gatal yang tackle Rina masa kat concorde dulu... Occay,... orang kuat UMNO caw kat sini rupanya... aku terdengar makcik belakang aku beborak... makcik tu punya la puji macam-macam... yang sorang lagi mengia aje...

If I'm not mistaken, at that time Azmin Ali and the Actor Jalaluddin Hassan's brother was the candidate.I forgot his name.

I saw Dad looking through the window from his room as I was walking towards the house. As soon as I stepped my foot in the house, Dad was already in the living room looking at me anxiously. "Dah undi?" "Dah..." " Who did u vote?" "Ada lah, mana boleh cakap." I smiled, then went to the kitchen and had my lunch. He just looked at me and said nothing. He was not angry nor happy with my answer. I wonder what was in his mind.

My Dad and Mom are truly govt supporters. They are so patriotic. Mom is the Ketua Wanita Cawangan Kg Mohd Amin, JB. Used to be under Tok Mat, now Jazlan took over. I saw my mom's passion for UMNO. Dad was not an active member but he supports mom all the way.

Dad was born in 1943 and mom, 1947. They had a hard time growing up. My mom was been forced to an engagement at the age of 15, while she was still in school. She was the 1st girl in her kampong to pursue secondary school. Nyai couldn't understand why a girl should go and study further. Mom had her dad on her side, but my Nyai was the one had to sell her gelang emas. The engagement was put off. Mom struggled finishing her school with limited education material to support, went to KL, worked in a Quantity Surveyor firm, met Dad and married.

Dad haven't had the chance to know his father, Atuk Munir. He's been told by her mom, relatives and fellow villagers that his father been taken by japanese army. Her mom was the "bidan kampong."

Dad had several step dad, and siblings from different fathers. He was lucky that her mom was aware of the importance of education. She tried her best to send him to school. When he was in boarding school, he will keep fruits like apples and oranges he got during meals, to give it to his siblings back home. He knows that his siblings surely glad to have those fruits as they were unable buy them. Dad was good in his academic and sports. He managed to get scholarships thru high school, college and University. Servicing the government as Lecturer and then Deputy Vice Chancellor in UTM for several term, then lecturing till his due for retirement.

According to them, they have seen that the life of people in Malaysia has been better as per the rulled of the government as they say mainly UMNO.

Yes, that was the developing erra. We are not considered a fully develop country yet, just look at some parts of sabah and sarawak, they are still living their lives like we did 10-20years back. I've seen it. My views are little bit different from my parents. Not way different, but slightly. Anyway, now there are more aspects to see in a rulling party. The leaders, the parties, the mandats, the promises, the results, the scandals, the original visions etc...

My parents did not closed one eye on the leaders wrong doings, mistakes or scandals. They do critics. They even said that "Pembangkang harus ada, kalau tak sapa nak tegur dia orang. Kita bukan malaikat, mesti ada buat salah. Dan salah sendiri susah nak nampak."

I agree.

I certainly hope more people are aware of their rights, and play it right. Concern of the things happening around you, watch, notice, listen, observe, read... do not limit yourself. From the "follow the govt's guideline" newspaper to haraqah, to malaysia today and blogs that Dato' Rais Yatim said were indulging an unhealthy culture that bashing others.(aii? kata freedom, takde penjajah, bebas suarakan pendapat, tapi blog pun kena ada guideline ker?)

Especially the younger generation, jangan asyik sibuk berparty, clubbing, shopping, belajar, kerje, dating, tengok MTV, layan ipod, myspace, friendster, chatting on line.

Ambil tahu.

What do see in the rulling government?

Everybody will have a different answers to that.

What do you want from the rulling government?

Different answers too...

So, don't keep it to yourself. Say it out loud.

Vote!