Polling day for the Melaka State Election is set for this Saturday (20 November 2021) and if you’re a registered voter in the state and currently residing outside of Melaka, going back and casting your vote is important to ensure that your voice won’t be sidelined for the next 5 years. Yes, you’ve read that right!
The next chance for you to vote for the best leader to represent your constituency is potentially as late as the year 2027!
DAP Secretary and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Seremban, Anthony Loke recently corrected the misconception that is widespread among Melakan voters who believed that this State Election is not significant, thinking that they can just vote again in General Election 15 (GE15) for a new State Legislative Assembly Representative (ADUN).
However, this is simply not true.
Even if there could potentially be a General Election as early as next year, Melakans will only be voting to elect MPs in GE15 and not for ADUNs in the state. In fact, Melakans won’t have a chance to do so for another full term or 5 years after the State Election this 20 November.
Therefore, the ADUNs elected next Saturday will potentially not represent the true voice of the rakyat should there be a low voter turnout, especially if a huge chunk of voters living outside Melaka decide to not come back and vote. Worse, if that’s the case, Melakans will be stuck with an incompetent State Government up until the dissolution of DUN as far away as the year 2027!
Loke stressed,
“For Melaka, when the State Assembly is not dissolved at the same time as Parliament, Melakan voters won’t be choosing a new ADUN during GE15. Hence, the Melaka ADUNs would continue to be performing their duties as per usual, unaffected by GE15,”
Meanwhile, DAP Political Education Director Liew Chin Tong also weighed in on the importance of the Melaka State Elections, stressing that every single vote is critical, considering the unique situation the Melaka Assembly finds itself in. Besides the usual ‘strongholds’ of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and UMNO, the battle to determine who will form the new State Government will be in 10 to 12 seats in the state.
Chin Tong further commented,
“If Pakatan Harapan (PH) and UMNO both have around 8 to 10 ‘stronghold’ seats in the state, from the total of 28 DUN seats in Melaka, any vote swings in 10 to 12 major seats will determine the victors of the State Election.”
Furthermore, DAP veteran Foong Kui Lun also iterated the importance of the Melaka State Election and urged for voters residing outside the state to come back and exercise their right to vote. The Bukit Bintang MP views the State Election as crucial as it would provide an opportunity for voters to voice out their feelings on the last 2 years of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly the failures of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and its various iterations by the Federal Government.
Similarly, Damansara MP Tony Pua also stressed how significant the Melaka State Election is as it provides a crucial platform for Melakans to voice their opinions and protest against the failures of the Perikatan Nasional government which was formed by both UMNO and Bersatu.
Make your voice heard this 20 November! Let’s recapture the spirit of 9 May 2018 when despite all odds and obstacles, Malaysians from all walks of life rise up against the kleptocratic BN regime and paved the way for a new Malaysia. This Saturday, Melakans must let democracy flourish in Malaysia again after the treachery that was the Sheraton Move. Pilih Harapan, Pulih Melaka! – The Rocket.
