Saturday April 13, 2013

GE13: ‘Elections, so what?’ is the case for most Sarawakians

By DIANA ROSE
drose@thestar.com.my

MIRI: The excitement associated with the 13th general election (GE13) does not appear to have reached Sarawak yet.

Streets are not even lined with party-flags. Actually, the only places where party colours can be seen are at the party headquarters.

The mood is so “normal” that it seems abnormal for those who are visitors to Sarawak.

Perplexed businessman Vincent Lee, for example, said: “Is Sarawak always this relaxed about an election?

“This is so different from Semenanjung (the peninsula) or even Negri Sembilan where I come from. The mood of the general election is not here at all. I cannot feel or see it.”

Lee felt that the relaxed atmosphere could be a reflection or manifestation of lack of awareness of the importance of voting. “Or perhaps the people here are just not too concerned about the end results,” he said.

“Sarawak is the only state that has a ruling government in Malaysia now. So, perhaps that explains the relaxed mood,” he said.

Owner of Jong Fung Cafe in Bekenu town sees it in a different perspective.

“There's no need to have posters and flags out so early,” she said. “It's a waste of money and time. Anyway, Sarawakians like to do things at the last minute,” she, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.

“Everyone knows about the general election. When the time comes, they will vote.”

Perhaps the atmosphere was best summed up by Chieng Ho, who at 85, still walks from coffee shop to coffee shop selling vegetables.

“Apa undi? (What election?)” he asked.

All he wanted was for someone to buy his vegetables so he could make some money and have his coffee.

The former rubber tapper plants vegetables in his backyard in Krokop.

What matters to him, and perhaps many Sarawakians like him, is the daily routine election is election and when the time comes to vote, they simply exercise their rights without any fanfare.

If most Sarawakians seem somewhat nonchalant about the coming polls, it is perhaps because they have to go through an election every two to three years. The parliamentary polls and the state polls are not held together.

The last time these were held together was in 1974.

And indeed, the people appeared to have been more excited about the last state election in 2011 then the current parliamentary election where 31 seats are at stake.

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

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Saturday April 13, 2013

GE13: ‘Elections, so what?’ is the case for most Sarawakians

By DIANA ROSE drose@thestar.com.my

By DIANA ROSE
drose@thestar.com.my