Many voters have already made up their minds and seem to be just going through the motions before casting their votes on May 5.

WE are entering the final sprint for the 13th General Election and I’m sleep-deprived and thoroughly confused.

Whilst my travel schedule explains the lack of “shut eye”, I ought to have a better grasp of what’s going on, having travelled the length and breadth of the country.

Instead, with every new state I visit, I come away all the more perplexed.

There are a few notable exceptions – Penang and Kelantan where the mood appears to be trending for Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional respectively.

But in states such as Kedah, which should be clearer, it’s been very hard to discern what voters intend to do on May 5.

It’s as if many voters have already made their minds up and are merely going through the motions before they cast their votes.

Having waited so long for the opportunity, they’re focused and determined on the one hand and just a little evasive on the other, especially with guys like me who represent the “commentariat”, desperately looking for an angle to write about.

So, as I falter in my attempts to read and document the popular mood, I’ve become a specialist in two other critical factors: the ceramah and the best food on the ground.

The best rule of thumb for a ceramah is thus: if you see an empty seat, sit on it because you won’t find another.

However, there’s an exception to the rule: if there are scores of vacant seats then you’re at the wrong ceramah and should leave quickly.

Of course, once you’ve sat down, it’s awkward to withdraw early without giving offence!

Second, Barisan doesn’t really hold ceramah per se.

Instead, most of the Barisan events are “programmes” with a targeted set of potential voters or election workers.

Because of this, the food and drinks at Barisan events are infinitely better than at anything organised by the opposition.

Third, Pakatan ceramah appear to involve a lot of fund-raising with donation boxes being circulated.

For those of us who are used to Barisan events, the idea of making donations whilst at a ceramah is slightly bizarre.

In order to avoid upsetting the organisers, don’t try to swipe any of the cash.

Fourth, try not to fall asleep or else you’ll slip off your chair.

If you’re really tired then it’s best to position your chair against a wall, a pillar or one of those metal tent-stands.

The food on my travels has been a revelation (but avoid mee goreng in Keningau).

First off, whenever you’re really hungry and need to eat good home-cooked grub, look out for a Malay tom yam stall and order steamed or deep-fried fish with three flavours (ikan tiga rasa).

Whether you’re in Port Klang, Kulim or Kuala Kangsar, chances are the food will be superb – full of fresh ingredients and well-cooked.

Separately, there are local specialities such as Mee Abu in Alor Setar – basically Mee Rebus with Penang-style Pasembur; the Roti Ban Bakar in Kluang; Ayam Percik Yati in Kota Baru (which also serves that famous Kelantanese delicacy, macaroni cheese!) and finally Botak’s (behind the Blue Wave Hotel) in Johor Baru where the steamed fish, vegetables and noodles are always cooked to perfection.

So, as you wolf down your local delicacy, you try to make some sense of all the people you’re meeting and talking to, whether it’s Cabinet ministers, politicians, school-teachers, fellow journalists, farmers or students.

Even though it’s difficult to come to any particular conclusion – I certainly don’t have any idea what the seat count will be by May 6 – the most important sense is that people want to take charge of their lives and their politics.

Ordinary people know that their votes matter – more than ever before.

They feel empowered and they want to exercise their rights – kicking out (or at least punishing) those who’ve failed to deliver on their promises and rewarding those who’ve worked hard and unselfishly for the past five years.

In essence, the people – and this is more so in the peninsula because of the ubiquitousness of the Internet – are sovereign.

They are in charge and they know it.

When they reveal their preferences on May 5 we’d all better be prepared for some shocks – after which we should head to the local Malay tom yam stall for some ikan tiga rasa to sustain us through the long night!

For more election stories, please visit The Star’s GE13 site

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