Whatever the outcome of GE13, as Malaysians go out to cast their vote today, the country will emerge better as the people have taken a more active interest in politics.

By the end of today, a new dawn will await Malaysians. Whichever way the ballot boxes fill, nothing will ever be the same again, and that is good.

THE run-up to the 13th General Election (GE13), as we are all aware and weary of, has been unlike any other. The campaign has been the one that has been the most followed, the most fraught and the most fervently fought.

Never have we seen politicians and their parties get into gear with such resolve, working harder than ever to convince us. And that is good. In the process, with proliferating points of view, policies and promises, we have become more informed than previously.

Even more heartening to note is the active participation of Malaysians in GE13. And even more meaningful is that no one is afraid to articulate their allegiance, defend their view or collectively commit as a nation to configure a new beginning. That is even better.

The results of today’s polls, when finally tallied, will not just signify the winning coalition’s success. Indeed, the relative rise and fall in the number of votes will send a powerful message to both victors and vanquished. With their newly acquired defiance, this nation’s citizens will demand a lot more from both sides of the divide.

Whether from the ruling party or the opposition, newly-elected leaders will be required to perform like never before. Absolutely great.

For instance, along the coast of Selangor, not far from the capital, the Barisan Nasional candidate vying for the Kota Alam Shah state seat, Datuk Maglin Dennis D’cruz, is still talking at 2am. Having lived in the area for more than 20 years, the Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture is well aware of the problems that beset his constituents.

“I feel that I can help bring change by addressing their basic needs, as I have been going around and listening to the people,” he said.

Their major concerns? Inferior infrastructure, high crime rate, indiscriminate flooding and water quality.

Addressing issues like these is not something new for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) vice-president, as he has been running his party’s service centres for years. “But the people’s main problem is that they don’t know exactly what to do,” he explained.

This is what he will focus on, concentrating his efforts on providing solutions. As one who must finish all that he starts, Datuk Maglin always has a Plan B.

“Plan A is when my staff sets out to solve the issues with the respective ministries, Plan B is when I see the minister personally.” Then he adds, “Plan A+ is when I wait for the minister in the car park. And – believe me – I have done that.”

On the other side of the divide, right in the citadel of the current caretaker government, in the Putrajaya seat held by Umno, PAS parliamentary candidate Datuk Husam Musa is equally confident. More than a week before polling day, despite acknowledging that more than 80% of the electorate have already decided on who they are going to vote for, he is certain that he’ll be able to garner the remaining 20% who are nervous about change.

“Although this is uncharted territory and Malaysians are by nature modest, change is a must,” he stressed.

Though ensconced in the lion’s den, the PAS vice-president thinks he can win, as his constituency is the centre for change. Despite his optimism, he concedes that is it not easy to please everyone, as every quarter of society has its grouses. Instead of voting for the person or the party, he feels “overall the voters would seek parameters grounded in principles.”

In likening this election to the second Merdeka, he is thus far encouraged by his constituents’ receptiveness. Droves of people had turned up for a seminal ceramah the night before we met, and people are always eager to take their pictures with him to post on their Facebook accounts.

“Even when their bosses ask them to remove their pictures after a minute on line, that is good enough for me.” He pauses and adds: “Fear is real, and fear is good. All we need is people to lose that fear for a minute.”

The availability of choice – be it in candidates, opinions or statistics – is what is most compelling about this election. Nobody needs to sit on the fence any longer. The open channels between voters and politicians have ensured that apathy won’t be tolerated for much longer. We have to stand up and stake our claim.

So, as we head to our respective polling stations on this day to cast our votes, we can be sure of one thing: Whichever person or party we finally decide on, change is inevitable. We’ve heard all the talk, now is time for action. And that is excellent.

Good luck, Malaysia.

• New SARS-like virus can probably pass person-to-person
• Nurul Izzah says not eyeing PKR presidency when mum steps down
• Coronavirus epidemic awaits, not certain to be severe - discoverer
• Merkel says has no secrets about her communist past
• Appeals court frees six backers of black-clad Egypt protest group
• Scomi Group secures RM98.5m Turkmenistan contract
• Who will be the new IGP?
• Italy's Letta urges ministers to avoid clashing in public
• Greek state workers to strike against teachers' walkout ban
• Brothers of Cleveland kidnap suspect say he was aloof for years - CNN