Tuesday, March 30, 2010

How I Start Loving Being A Voter And You Should Too


I was only six when the 8th General Election happened. So that morning, I followed them up to the second floor, but stayed outside to see how they cast their votes. It was a first time, seeing it live of how election day happened. Then in 1995, election mania came again. Even young, I was so interested to see how people go and vote, since it is a 5 year affair thing. At night, I was also watching TV, interested to see who's winning, who's leading, etc..

I was really smitten how a person gets to go and put the ballot card in the box. I could really wish of doing that earlier in 2004, but then I was only 20 and fell short of the minimum age required. I soon understood that it is the enthusiasm of voting that I start loving the idea of playing the role of a voter.

By November 2005, I finished my internship and was looking for my next job. I was back at home, just graduated. A week after I hit the age of 21, I decided I ain't going to wait until there is a registration exercise to come to do so. After lunch time, I went straight to the state EC office (it's opposite the state government building), told a staff there that I just hit 21 and I want to register. It's just merely presenting your IC card and check a few days later on its status is all it takes to become a voter.

And so I became one. And I didn't wait for 5 years for the next GE to come. If not, it could have been around this time. I was certain at that time, given of the area where I would be I knew that it would be Lim Kit Siang vs somebody from the BN.

From the info I gather about these two men contesting, I noticed a difference between a decent MP vs a longkang MP. So excited that as the days go by prior to the 8th, I really have made up my mind on who to vote.

And that day there's went my first time to vote, and at the age of just 23+!

Yes, I sometimes think this as cheong hei and out of point but hey, the stats was saying that there are 4 million unregistered but eligible, and mostly are those within the group of 21-40.

I used to think of the phrase, "There is no fate but what we make for ourselves".

There are about 4 million eligible but unregistered voters, majority within my age group and I believe that most of them have no idea that they can do the vote. Some of them think that they are lazy to vote or some of them think that there is no obligation to dd that or so.

Wrong. If you think that you don't have to vote, think again. If the 4 million voted in the GE, the results and outcome could be different. What if there is no 1Malaysia when the result got changed the other way round? What if there is no Perak crisis if the results got changed?

Current problems in Malaysia is our fault. We didn't do enough to change it.

That's why there are these voter registration drives to help you guys fulfill your obligation.

Voting is an obligation. For me, it's enthusiasm.

I don't really know much about this EPIC thing but I know that a 23 year old person around my group age started this. Perhaps he / she has the same enthusiasm as I do, but maybe I can lend a help out there by putting what they need below.

Anyhow, just to note, this weekend is their registration drive in 3 locations - The Curve, Amcorp Mall and Subang Parade, so if you have never voted before, just go to one place and sign up. Who knows, maybe a GE could be called in the next 3 years or so and you will have your chance.

Read on below...

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The decisions we make today shape our tomorrow, individually as a community, and ultimately as a nation. That is why we are beginning another EPIC movement we call EPIC for Unity.

This is where we want the people to start having faith & hope in this nation that we call HOME and love dearly. It is understandable that it has indeed been challenging to develop such positive feelings toward a nation that displays such a blatant disregard for ethics and the rapid decay of moral values in our community. We understand that we are disillusioned and feelings of helplessness have inhabited our minds and wills, causing us to stop striving for what we youths want.

_________________________________________________________________________

We want to believe that the power of ‘one’ is not simply overrated, just rarely challenged
We want Positive Action not Negative Reactions
We want to integrate not tolerate
We want to stop complaining, and start acting
We want our friends to stop migrating overseas and our parents to stop telling us to do so
We want to be colour blind to our neighbours
We want to stand up to be responsible for our collective future and believe that others want to as well

_________________________________________________________________________

We want all this but what are you willing to do to get it?

We want to voice our choice the best and most civil way we know how in practicing our democratic right…
By Voting

However before that happens, you first have to register as a voter… Have you? If you have, GOOD ON YA! If not, don’t feel bad, because the time is now.
We are on an EPIC Mission to gather

2,000,000 voters

by the end of the year. Yes, we said it! TWO MILLION! We believe that we will definitely hit and even exceed this number if you join us on this EPIC adventure to truly impact our community in an extraordinary way.

We will be launching our year-long campaign which we believe belongs to all of us on the 3rd and 4th of April. The launch will start of by setting up booths in high traffic malls which will be confirmed ASAP.

We will need at least 150 hands in promoting, registering,
setting up booths and pasting up posters.

We are targeting 20,000 people for the 2 day launch.




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