This is the moment we have been waiting for. I have already cast my ballot, have you? It was peaceful and orderly at the polling booth. I could see dedicated volunteers and officials.
But I think the Election Commission must be allergic to ink – especially the indelible variety. Instead of a ball-point pen, they provide you with a pencil in the polling booth.
Last night, a human rights activist said something that struck me: “Polling day is like a sacred day. I can feel the aura of quietness inside the polling centre, in the classroom. It is something yang murni.”
Yes, it is a sacred day. And we have a heavy responsibility to make the right choice while exorcising any would-be phantoms.
There is an air of expectation.
I met one of my neighbours, an elderly Chinese Malaysian, this morning as he and his family were returning home after they had voted.
“How did it go?” I asked him.
He hesitated a moment, and then said solemnly, “There’s a strong wind blowing.”
Yes, the winds of change are blowing. Will they be enough to blow away the phantoms, though? That’s not even considering the postal ballots, over which hang many question marks.
Do the right thing and vote for Malaysia. Vote for democracy, vote for justice and reforms. Share with me your polling day impressions below, won’t you?
Related posts:
I just came back from casting my vote in Prai. It was peaceful and orderly. Maybe it was early in the morning about 8.15am. Many are still catching up their sleep after attendinglate night ceramah.
The Parliamentary candidate is DAP Profesor Ramasamy who is standing as ADUN too.
YES! PROUD TO TELL YOU THAT MY FAMILY AND NEIGHBOURS VOTED FOR HIM!!!
yes its very calm and the official who announce your name loud and clear remind me that its me voting for change and i respond correctly that i m responsible for the justification of our land!
I casted my vote in Kota Damansara P107 and DUN39 before 9am. It was peaceful and well organised. I noticed that the polling lines were separated by age group. Was it the same in other areas?
This time around I have made a bold move and VOTED FOR CHANGE. I want Sivarasa to be my voice in Parliament and Dr.Nasir for ADUN. The BN candidate for ADUN Dtk Zein doesnt care an inch about the Environment and the raping of the reserve forest of Kota Damansara. Such arrogance.
Happy to note that my family in Penang have all voted for CHANGE too. God willing, I am looking forward to a new beginning for Malaysia.
This time when we all cast our votes
It’s like taking part in political revolt
Trying to make a change of significant note
Without having to learn any bitter lesson just by rote.
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng – 080308
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
http://msi.Rocky101.com
Sat. 8th Mar. 2008.
Polling day is another day of family get together to me. This time we have all voted for change.
My polling station is in a small town in Pahang where population are mostly chinese. The polling agents and SPR officials are friendly and helpful. What I noticed was that the turn up of youngster are encouraging. This is a good sign to most of us. Besides, I could see many elderly turned up as well. It should be a peaceful polling day. But inside my heart I wish to see the change that many of us are yearning of.
By the way last night there was a massive traffic jam on Karak Highway that made me thinking so much of phantom thingy. Buses everywhere.
One interesting was that while I was queuing for my turn to vote, I heard a young guy behind me talking over the phone saying something about his friends as polling and counting agents in elsewhere to ‘catch ghost’. Well I guess u guys know what he means. lol
For the first time in my life I’ve taken the responsibilty to vote! Yes, I’m a first-time voter and I know there are many out just like me. http://www.danielykl.com/blog/2008/02/29/the-internet-influence-my-vote/
I was at the polling station around 11am, weraing my red sport shirt. A man who wasin a red shirt was talking over the phone and he told the person on the other end of the line that he is at the polling stiation – voting for DAP – loud and clear. And when he saw me, he gave me a thumb-up, and said. “we are sure to win this time.” By the way he came with 3 other family members all wearing red! And as I look around, I do noticed that there are quite a number of people wearing red too. Is that a sign?
One thing that I find it odd, and like you said, is that why do they use pencil. Don’t tell me the EC can’t afford to buy pens when they could spent RM2.4million on 42,000 bottles of indelible ink! And pencil can be rubbed off. Strange!
I voted this morning in puchong jaya constituency..why allow BN volunteers to check our voting stream under BN booth instead of neutral booth?..it gives the impression that BN party is in charge which can be intimidating to those unfamiliar with the voting process..it also make it looks like BN election..
Sorry for the typing errors – weraing =wearing, wasin = was in, stiation =station. My apology.
Voted at Titiwangsa in KL. Some grumblings and cursing from the older folks due to their having to walk up a flight of stairs to the voting room. It is difficult to gage the sentiment in Titiwangsa as it is a BN stronghold. The winds of change are not as strong compared to the hurricanes in Penang
Voted this morning at 10am for Keadilan’s Sivarasa P107 & Elizabeth Wong N37 Subang. Shocked to find all the EC workers using pencil at entrance, upon collecting no. slips (booth 1, 2 or 3) & when handing out voting slips. After voting, I asked EC worker, why pencil, why not pen? I said pencil, you can rub off & mark differently, she said, don’t worry. The female worker said, it has always been this way in the past elections. All rakyat who care about clean, fair & balanced elections must come together & demand that we reform the EC. The EC will no longer report to gov’t but must report to Parliament & all expenditure of EC borne by gov’t & made public (public have access to a/cs). The EC must be headed by a panel with representatives from major political parties. I think there is so much to be done, to ensure clean & transparent polls. We must do this, regardless of the outcome of today’s polls. I believe in this : may the best man wins, on merit, not on fraud & cheating!!!
Went to vote around 11.30. Paya Terubong, Bkt Gelugor. Went with my wife, daughter and granddaughter, all wearing RED and in our RED car. Hope to see lots of RED shirts but disappointed. But I have confidence that the ROCKET will blast off to the sky by to night!!
The polling station at Kolej Islam in Klang was very orderly but noticed that BN was still campaigning, discretely asking the voters to vote for BN. They did not approach me for whatever reason.
My gut feeling is that the maximum the oppositon will win is another 20 parliamentary seats.
But however, one thing is noticeable for sure i.e. there is dent in the race politics with the emergence Anwar, Keadilan and the Barison Rakyat [Alternatif]. Only with eradication of race politics will we see a formidable opposition in Malaysia.
Hope non race based feelings or voting becomes stronger in the coming elections for beautiful Malaysia.
I am a first time voter. I voted for “bulan” for parlimen and “mata” for dun. I do not like PAS but I still voted for it coz i hate umno which is veryyyyyy racist toward indian minority.
Hope pas will take care of our tamil schools and do not demolish our kafirs’ berhala temples. I give stern warning.
I voted for the first time today. I pray that my vote for the opposition will make a change in my area, Tmn Bukit Belimbing! I pray for the Wind of Change to blow as hard as possible. It’s time to change indeed, we need to be one as a nation not divided by races!
me, a malaysian chinese, i have never taken election seriously until this year. voted only twice in my life but always for BN cause of my fear of PAS. This year, no more cause I have woken up to the fact that PAS is a more honest and caring party than the corrupt BN. I have just voted for Dr Lo Lo of PAS who is standing in Titiwangsa.
Went early morning with the mum to avoid the expected rain (which did fall) and the working crowd.
Small school in Canning state seat for Ipoh Timur, only 3 streams. From checking my stream (just to confirm) to casting my vote, it took me only 5 minutes.
The air was quiet and serious, and everything looked peaceful and calm, especially with the police around.
It felt good to ‘lose my virginity’
Luckily this time the ballot boxes are transparent, so I could peek in! I started peeking from outside the room and was peeking at it all the way. I stood near the boxes pretending to fold the paper tightly, but I was still peeeking!
All, and I mean all, and I am not saying this to feel good or anything, the ballot papers that were open and visible, had crosses on the top most box. And there were many such open ballot papers.
The top most box belongs to Nurul Izzah Anwar.
I voted this afternoon.. for CHANGE at the Damansara Utama constituenc. Yes we badly need this change for our country. Penang lang showed us the way by their tremendous display of courage and faith by coming out in their thousands to support this tsunami for change. Congratulations to all who have responded. we can now only pray the santity of our vote and choice is RESPECTED and accepted.
Voted at 2.30 pm under Rasah Parliamentary seat and Bukit Kepayang state seat.
Voted for DAP candidates to fight against corruption, non-independent judiciary, cronyism ,nepotism, abuse of power, mismanagement , incompentencies, high inflation, high crime rate……. and all misdeeds of BN.
I have been in US for the last two weeks, rescheduled my flights and took a 18 hours flight and reached KLIA at 12pm- managed to get to the polling station about 3pm.
I was suprised by the use of pencils too, and what happened to the special inks ?? i didnt see any used today ? did anyone else see it ?
Casted my votes at USJ8, 3pm this afternoon. Took me only less than 10 minutes to do so as there were not many voters at the time. Saw more people checking their particulars at the DAP booth than the BN.
Proud to say my votes went to PKR (Parliament) & DAP (State). BTW, I’m a Malay.
I voted at SJK Sin Kang in Farlim, Penang shortly after noon… (P48/N23)
The crowd was orderly and I observed that there was quiet determination in the face of the voters I came across…
Wind of Change?
On my way there… the traffic was exceptionally heavy and traffic was also heavy in front of the polling stations… Look like there are more people this time around going out to vote.
Being a Penangnite… I pray for the change or at the very least… a shocking wake up call!!
Makkal Sakthi
This is the 2nd time I am voting. I never bothered to even register until I had 2 kids. Mine is in Subang Jaya. I voted with the hope that tomorrow will be the dawn of a new beginning for all Malaysians. CHANGE. I want my children to grown up in a country where they are treated equally as everyone else and given equal opportunity.
And I take my hats off to the young politicians of the Barisan Rakyat .. they echo exactly what I feel and want! God bless us all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbs02ljK_Qw&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…re=related
Just voted with my family.
After I listen to this Song ….. I just cried…
‘Makkal Sakthi’, means ‘people’s power’,
Syabas . BR.
I am a parishioner of CHS and an avid blogger. Here are two posts from me on voters’ sentiment in the Air Putih area.
http://www.chanlilian.net/2008/03/08/live-report-on-voters-sentiments/
http://www.chanlilian.net/2008/03/08/photos-from-polling/
It’s all in God’s hand now. Thy will be done.
The clear morning
The sky smiles to the land
It is the polling day
The time for change has arrived
The winners and losers
The battles fought for 13 days
Hatching plots and slogans
Never wanted to say die
Today is the boiling point
The ballot papers and pencils in place
Clear plastic boxes sit silently
Officers and police gathered around
Polling agents rocking on the chairs
Vans and cars with BN posters
Ferrying voters to the polling stations
Money spins in the election
This is a good mark for easy cruises
I see many women
Middle aged women and old
They came with free transport
BN workers telling them where to go or vote
I sit in my car
Looking at the scenes
Will the change come today?
I wish silently it should
Enough of the blatant lies and deceptions
It makes no difference
About the sleeping beauty pleads yesterday
All about race……he missed his point totally
In the late afternoon it rains
By 4.38 pm it becomes heavy
The angels cry……telling it has to change
I pray it has to happen
For Malaysia and the years forward
Today we will know
Where we stand in our lives
Pocket full of holes or bright light
We make our destiny………..
Voted in the morning in SM Yuk Choy, Ipoh (Ipoh Barat & Kepayang). Very orderly. Not much of a crowd (was rather early in the morning) At noon drove down to Malim Nawar (40 min. drive) for Misses & dad-in-law to vote there. Never took the trouble to register at their new address. 3 votes for the opposition. The Malays are the stumbling block to change. Can Anwar galvanise them? Heard some of his speeches on Utube – fantastic orator. Can only hope and pray.
i voted in ipoh, jelapang state seat and batu gajah parliamentary. very proud to say my wife and i and all my extended family voted barisan rakyat. makkal sakti. the people have spoken.
I’m a first time voter and it was an exhilarating process. I could literally hear my heart thumping as I cast my vote followed by a rush of relief. Yes, I have exercised my right!
Can’t say the same for my fellow colleagues, some whine about the current government but have not even bothered registering to vote. As Gandhi says “We must become the change we want to see in the world”. No point in complaining if you are not going to step up to the plate and do something about it. You decide what to wear/eat/watch don’t you? So why not decide who represents you?
Malayasia will over come the day oppression comes to an end. We must stop our political tsumani. We can make and must make a difference. When there is a storm we must not be afraid. Be brave and believe in changes. We shall overcome!
iiiiiiiihaaaaaaa!!!….habislah BN kita…….we have new ministers soon…….bye2 all the blogger haters……who say we bloggers can’t change the world?
I was the station master for a local chinese primary school at tanjong bungah. I have been doing this for the opposition for almost2 elections. However, this school seems to be always on BN’s side. I decided for this time round, I will leave the counting to my buddies. When I got back the papers , the verdict was almost 3 to 1 margin for both state and parliament. I suddenly realized the win is blowing ….
I write from Sydney following the greatest day for Malaysia since 31st Aug 1957! I thank God the dawn of a new era, a new generation to reinvent Malaysia and restore its integrity that was eroded by people who do not love our beloved nation.
To the opposition, congratulations. However, let it be reminded that we the people of Malaysia will cast our votes wisely again if the elected representatives do not respond to the voice of People Power. For the first time, the People of Malaysia have let known their sentiments. Bangsa Malaysia won at the end. End corruption and restore integrity and restore Malaysia! Amen.
This is our second Merdeka!
Merdeka! Merdeka!Merdeka! Merdeka!Merdeka! Merdeka!Merdeka!
God bless MALAYSIA!!!!
For the first time for many years, I feel PROUD to be a Malaysian, living in a land where we can be treated equally despite our race or faith. We want our children to grow up under a government which upholds justice, equity & integrity.
My wife and I cast our votes at the SMK Taman Cuepacs, Cheras KL. On this day, we become colour-blind: we only see green. After that I sms-ed friends that I voted for OBAMA who champions CHANGE.
I spent 9 hours in the sun soacked breezy open, and it was a humbling and edifying experience at this age of 54 for me. Many of the voters who came were noticeably poor Indians and certainly too not the wealthy Malays. But they all gave me the thumbs up and never failed to smile – indicating some kind of signal, as I tried to lend moral support to the volunteers of the opposition parties’ help the old to walk up the steep slope to the polling station.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES:
(1) EC should never place polling centres atop such steep slopes.
(2) Hired cars with BN stickers and flags were more intersted in making more trips than the welfare or handicap of their passengers as they were ever so quick to drop voters- young and old, at the bottom of the slope when they could have taken them all the way to the top; and keeping voters waiting endlessly for their return trip.
(3) The paid ‘volunteers’ of BN were more interested in the jackets, caps and cash and meals while the opposition volunteers even forgot that they had not eaten untill a compassionate woman came with some packets of home cooked, simple rice and ikan kering for lunch. And even then, each volunteer was insisting that others eat first for fear that there would not be enough to for all.
(4) Many of the BN hired help were more absorbed in their own worlds of conversations, while the opposition party volunteers welcomed every single arrival with the same enthusiasm and care.
(5) At the heights of the noon temperature, the BN-help took shelter under trees away from the road leading to the polling station while the opposition volunteers stood to their posts to do their social duty, maintaining that after all this is once in five years and it is for the love of nation and rakyat.
I can now understand better the landslide victory of opposition parties. Are the BN leaders willing to learn too?
I just come to the US after spending the last 10 years back in KL. I am so happy to see Jeyakumar having won against Samy. His time has come. Now we need to useat Najib and reign in corruption at the top. Having a first hand view of US politics, I am proud to say that I am much more optimistic about the state of Malaysian democracy now than the state of US democracy under the Bush regime. We’ve come a long way towards a vibrant and thinking society!
I voted in Bandar Sri Damansara and was at Sivarasa’s bilik gerakan in the evening/nite to have the first hand view of the results as they were coming in. I’m proud to say that majority of voters in Sri Damansara utara and Sri Damansara Selatan voted for Sivarasa.
My cousin and I were relief team of counting/polling agents for Sivarasa(parliament Subang). After casting our votes at our respective constituencies in the morning, we reported to his bilik gerakan in Kota Damansara at 11.00AM. We were talking to Irene Fernanadez and the others there when a PAS member walked in asking for flags and stickers and asked us to come help out at the “pondok panas” at Kota Damansara in front of the polling station for DUN Dr.Nasir Hashim. We obliged and we jumped in to his Nissan Sunny and when we entered the road leading to the polling station it was dominated by a large crowd of Malay and Indian youth who were being paid (I was told)around RM150/= each to wear BN caps vests, flags, and shout and canvass for votes as the voters were walking in to the polling station. They were singing “Inilah Barisan Kita……”
We joined the smaller group of PKR/PAS pondok and a group of Indian youth who were holding PKR flags there. We joined them and shouted Makkal Sakthi and Power to the People. We were later joined by the local Indian “Taikor”, Reuben, who was flashingly dressed with long shoes and cowboy hat and helped organize the cheering. As the indian voters were coming in, we shouted Makkal Sakthi and they smiled or gave us the thumbs up.
I shouted to a chinese lady who was walking to the polling centre to “vote for change” and she shouted back “DEFINITELY!!”. A young chinese man with a big cross on his T-shirt came to our pondok to check his polling stream and I said to him Hallelujah brother, vote for change and he said “yes”.
Today marks the end of a long period of decline which started with Mahathir’s rise. That period peaked (or more accurately, plummeted) during Anwar’s arrest and trial in 1998. After today, we want to see Mahathir’s legacy purged. For that to happen, Anwar must start with a clean slate. He must renounce his past associations with corruption and racist policies. Malaysians want change – not just the driver of the vehicle, but a different vehicle and a different direction altogether. It is time for Malaysia to rebuild so that all its citizens may equally contribute towards a nation which can stake its claim to a meaningful role in the international community.