Making sense of it all

Election time is here at last. Went around PJ but still found no evidence of postal wars. Maybe the next day perhaps. We are left with 2 weeks to decide the future of our country. This is a short time indeed. Worse still, public rallies are disallowed. There are so many issues at stake and time is needed to hear out the candidates and thus decide accordingly.

Why, i asked, has the government not allowed a longer period of campaigning? Fear of unrest was one factor that i frequently hear. Unrest? Is this nation so fragile? The fear now is more towards religious fanatism rather than racial differences.

PAS has become a real threat to UMNO's supremacy. PAS has employed a formidable tactic to woo its supporters. The use of religion has always been successful in drawing support. How can we turn our backs on God? Does anyone dare challenge our clergymen? Perhaps we need a rule that separates state from religion like some states in US. As no one should challenge a religion, fanatism and extremism needs strong condemnation. But is PAS a fanatical extremist party? UMNO would certainly like us to believe so. However, my visits to Kelantan has been quite the contrary. My chinese friends have no problems with their daily lives and i was even brought to a pork selling market right in the middle of Kota Baru. Even i had not known as well that it is in kelantan that lies the biggest sleeping Buddha in South East Asia! Church services are never obstructed as well! Religious tolerance is evident and a pleasant surprise.

Politics has never been my forte and my arguments that PAS may not be all that bad has drawn criticism even from my family! Does arguing in PAS' favour equate suppoting this Islamist party? I say NO. We just need to be a little open minded to arguments and look things in a broader perspective. We need to weigh the pros and cons not just gobble up the pros of the ruling goverment that has been consistently fed to us through undeniably tight media control. News portal like Malaysiakini has been a welcomed addition to our daily news digest.

March 21 is the day of polling. Let us make good informed decisions. Hear both sides of the story, then decide.