May 2018 marked the month of a significant event and turning point for my home country of Malaysia. A couple of months prior, I wrote an essay on the racial riots that divided the nation on May 13th, 1969. The date that is now etched in my memory is May 9th, 2018. Our 14th general elections paved the way for the opposition party to win for the first time in history, resulting in a change in government after 61 years. Effectively, this altered the political landscape of the nation since its independence in 1957.
Like many other nations, our country had been plagued with and embroiled in a vast majority of downfalls such as corruption and scandals, at the behest of the previous governments. Although I was far away from home, witnessing history was an indescribable feeling. I vividly remember staying up to follow the updates throughout the election day, on the edge of my seat hoping for a moment that was in the making for a long time. It was a great feeling, seeing my friends and family, as well as the rest of the country go out and vote, making them the real heroes.
People from all walks of life were coming together and helping one another to ensure their votes were counted. I remember reading about pilots flying home who offered to take the ballots of those who were overseas because they couldn’t send it off in time due to systematic restrictions put in place in order to deter voters. It was truly amazing and it is a feeling you can’t quite pen down in words.
In the days that followed, I received emails and cheers from my professors and friends alike who read it across news platforms from their own home country. It was an emotional and euphoric moment experiencing the entire event. I recall sharing the sentiment with my classmates, that as Politics and International Relations students, we are often analyzing the pitfalls of foreign policy and politics in general and it is seldom one hears of occurrences that have the ability to restore your faith in justice and show you that power really does belong to the citizens of a nation. As much as it was a win for the country, the real work such as rebuilding, redemption and accountability, only began after the elections. There is still so much to do, and so many heights to reach but I think these elections already showed us a better nation, one that Malaysia has always had the capability to be, a united front regardless of our racial diversities, background and circumstances in life.
The turnout of youth voters during the elections played a big role in securing a win for the opposition. Given that news spreads like fire in this day and age, I’m glad to be part of a generation that knows how to exercise their voice. I’ve wanted to be a journalist for as long as I can remember, and for the first time I’m excited of the prospect of going home and working in a country I am blessed to have grown up in, by covering stories no holds barred. It is my dream to be able to do that through writing pieces about causes that are dear to me, wherever I am. I hope to do that by covering every nook and cranny and giving a voice to those who need it the most. The reality of it is that the real work never ends. For me, change makers are everywhere around us. As long as people are out there fighting for the truth and the ability to tell it, as well as equal rights for everyone, hope never ceases and there are endless possibilities to break glass ceilings and redefine stereotypes.
