OPINION SOMETHING is amiss with our electoral process.
In the event of only one candidate submitting his papers on nomination day, he will be declared the 'unopposed' winner.
Why is that so? Why is the electorate not given the choice of challenging his candidacy?
In other words, the 'right to vote' is not exercised and the electorate is deprived of an opportunity to say whether they accept the candidate or not.
There should not be a victory that is 'unopposed' because even a single candidate has to reckon with the constituents. And they might not give him such an easy passage to the legislative house.
And, in the case of a straight fight or a multiple contest involving more than two candidates, what if the voter decides that none of the aspirants meet his expectations? What if a voter decides not to choose any of them?
Perhaps, the electorate should be given the choice of putting an 'X' against "none of the above."
Current voting process
In the current voting process, the way to declare your resentment of the candidates is to spoil your ballot.
The Election Commission and the political parties may frown on such an action, but are they not the same authorities telling the electorate to exercise their voting rights?
Such rights should include the "right not to choose any candidate."
In Malaysia, where spoilt ballots are counted, the number may show disapproval of the candidates although the voter is considered to have taken part in the electoral process.
Spoilt votes, seen in a positive light, is part of the democratic process of making your voice heard.
When the results are out as to how many people turned out to cast their ballot papers, the spoilt votes will indicate that some people are not happy with the candidates.
Although a ballot is considered spoilt - done accidentally or deliberately by the voter - it is, nevertheless, an exercise of carrying out the process of the right to choose. Shocking tidal wave
Looking around at the politicians we have today, I cannot help thinking that while the 2008 general election brought a 'tsunami' that stunned both the ruling and opposition parties, the next polls could bring another shocking tidal wave in the form of an unprecedented number of spoilt votes against the electoral candidates.
Some ways that voters in the past had spoilt their votes include:
* marking nothing at all on the ballot papers
* completing the ballot in an unapproved manner, such as, marking more than one 'X' (choosing more than one candidate)
* deforming ballots, by crumpling or tearing the voting papers
* smearing the ballot paper with sketches, drawings or letterings
Had a call the other day from one of those oldtime friends who has an opinion about almost every issue affecting the country.
I've known him for about 30 years and he keeps in touch through his e-mails and occasional phone calls with a myriad of news, information and updates - inspirational, funny, heart-warming, ribald and,sometimes, ridiculous.
'Sensible' politicians
Neither of us are politicians and his observations – as well as mine – are just the layman's view of what is happening in the country.
We do not claim to be experts of the issues we discuss and we agree that in giving an opinion, there is no 'wrong' or 'right' between us. Furthermore, we don't condemn each other for having differing thoughts.
Both of us know people from both sides of the political divide. And, while we do not have any favourite personalities, we recognise that some politicians make better sense than others.
Therefore, it bothers us that 'sensible' politicians are becoming an increasingly rare commmodity on the Malaysian political landscape.
We agree that when the time comes again to select our respective representatives in Parliament and the state assembly, we will be at the polling station to state our stand.
Since we are ony voters, it does not matter if we select a candidate for the Dewan Rakyat from one party and a representative for the Dewan Negeri from another party.
If we don't like any of the candidates, we are going to submit our spoilt votes!
One of the things that has lately got us worried is the way our politicians are turning us all into beings that are confused about our national identity.
United by common bonds
It appears that our nation has now become just a mere geographical landmark and does not exist anymore as an entity of people that are united by common bonds.
What has emerged in recent years is a political playing field, where one side is now known as 1Malaysia and the other side Middle Malaysia.
The players using this field don't care where the country is heading; only how much points they are scoring against their opponents.
The Middle Malaysia side is telling the 1Malaysia proponents that their days of running the country are coming to an end.
The 1Malaysia side, on the other hand, is saying that they had had more than 50 sterling years and the best years have yet to come.
To the masses, each side has forgotten – or has no idea of – the cause they are fighting for.
Terms like justice, transparency, accountability, good governance, fair play and reliability are no longer magic words to cajole, persuade and influence voters to choose representatives worthy of being legislative members,
Says my friend, RH: "None of the current batch of politicians are practising "positive" politics.
Political leaders scorned
"Every little thing is politicised. Where's the politics of development, where both the government and the opposition contribute collectively?
"Oppose not for the sake of opposing or to gain political points. Both sides are just too pre-occupied to finish off the other party.
"As it is, I, my family members and friends have decided to put in our 'spoilt' votes come GE13."
I cannot blame him for his scorn of political leaders today, who sit in the legislative house as assemblymen, senators or MPs, to only play to the gallery (like actors playing for a cinema audience) and not to champion issues affecting the livelihood of their constituents
Ya, let's go to the polls to spoil the votes just to spite these politicians!
SHAH A DADAMEAH is senior editor with the Malaysian Mirror
