Although election fever is high with practically everyone involved in polls chatter, for some, their interests lie elsewhere.

ON the eve of nomination day, at around dinner time in Petaling Jaya, I was eavesdropping on the chatter in a trendy cafe famous for its cupcakes.

“Are you on Instagram?” asked a 20 something woman to her BFF (best friend forever).

“Yes, I am,” replied her 20-something BFF.

In their one-hour conversation, they discussed Instagram, bitchy colleagues, Uniqlo and cupcakes.

Their conversation and others in the cafe sharply contrasted with the chatter in Twitter.

While eavesdropping, I was following tweets from the 952 tweeters I followed.

The hot topic was politics especially about the possibility that DAP would not be using the rocket symbol in #GE13.

So I tweeted: “Is it possible that on the eve of nomination day there are people who politics is furthest from their mind?”

I also tweeted: “I believe there are Malaysians out there who are more interested in cupcakes than #GE13.”

Here are some of the responses.

Fizzy Hafizah (@fizzyhafizah): “u bet! I’m contemplating btw red velvet & choc chip cupcakes”.

Ryan (@ryanlkwww): “There may also be people who are more concern on the actual release date of Samsung Galaxy S4 in Msia than #GE13 :p”.

Deemar (@dmwee): “am at Jln Alor now & every1 seems more interested with their food it seems”.

Nancy Lai (@ansilai): “m thinking abt whether i shld buy more shoes :-)”.

Amir Hamzah (@overlord_666): “Cupcake is a serious business”.

I’m pretty serious about politics.

I’m the type who gets excited to find out that the daughter of Ansari Abdullah, who is supposed to be a die-hard Sabah PKR leader, is contesting against Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, the PKR choice in Tuaran MP seat.

I’m the type who loses sleep, wondering why Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim doesn’t mind sacrificing her Wanita Umno deputy chief post to stand in the Kuala Kangsar MP seat as an independent candidate.

I’m the type who a year ago knew that DAP will drop its Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu (who on Saturday was fielded in Luyang state seat).

In short, I eat, drink, and sleep politics.

But I always had a lingering suspicion that there are politically clueless people out there who rather eat, drink, and sleep cupcakes.

I called one of them.

“Are you voting?” I asked my 40-something best friend who I considered very successful as he owns about eight houses.

“Yes, for the first time,” he answered.

“So who are you voting for?” I asked.

“I don’t know who.

“But I know which party I want to vote for,” he said.

“Who are the candidates in PJ Utara MP seat?” I asked.

“Wait,” he said, and I could hear him talking to his darling wife on who their MP was.

Here’s what I overheard his wife saying: “I think he is a doctor but he has been replaced by another person.”

“My YB is a doctor,” he said.

Because I was brought up by parents to be a polite person, I didn’t contradict him and say: “It is Tony Pua lah.

“And he’s no doctor.

“And his opponent is Chew Hoong Ling of MCA.”

Anyway, the joke between us is although I might know politics, he knows money and that is why he owns eight houses and me, two.

Coincidentally, I had lunch with a friend, who is a political animal, in a restaurant in a hotel overlooking the hot seat of Lembah Pantai.

We talked politics (i.e. ethnic battles in Lahad Datu state seat and how some candidates were “persuaded” to drop out as candidates).

We also talked about the apolitical Malaysians.

“Those who are politically aware are a loud and vocal minority.

“And they accentuate (their presence) because they are loud,” he said.

“They dominate the conversation, giving a superficial impression that a political issue is a hot topic.

“Actually many people are not bothered about the hot topic.

“It is the same for this election.”

We agreed that for some Malaysians, #GE13 was a yawn.

But because we live in a (politics dominated) bubble, we assume that everybody is into the 13th general election.

There’s a subset to the “loud and vocal minority”.

“There are people who loudly talk a lot about politics.

“They curse the Government for this, they curse the Government for that,” my friend said.

“But when you ask them, ‘are you going to vote?’, they will answer, ‘I’m not registered to vote’.

“They are loud but their voice doesn’t count as they don’t vote.”

Pop quiz.

Which is the most read story in thestar.com.my on the eve of nomination day?

a) Love triangle may have led to death,

b) ROS: DAP can use symbol for elections,

c) CCTV showed two men taking Nayati,

d) DAP extends ROS deadline to 5pm, still may field candidates under PAS and PKR logos,

e) FBI releases photos of two Boston bomb suspects.

The answer is “a”.

(The above is the list of the top stories in Star Online on Saturday.)

I should try to get out of my political bubble.

Here’s a start.

I wonder which politician is a cupcake.

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