Malaysia will once again move into election season, as Johor and Negeri Sembilan are set to hold polls soon, followed by Malacca, Sarawak and eventually, the 16th General Election.
I am an ordinary senior citizen who has seen many elections, political parties rise and fall, new faces emerge, and some old ones refuse to fade away.
Yet there is only one thing that is constant: politicians are primarily selfish, and voters need to be vigilant, especially about aspiring candidates’ track records.
The fact is that many Malaysians today feel disappointed and disillusioned with politics. They are disheartened by broken election promises and appalled by the antics of politicians.
Because of this, voters are always on the lookout for alternatives. Of late, Parti Bersama Malaysia and Parti Wawasan Negara have joined the already crowded field of political parties vying for our votes. As a voter, I say the more the merrier!
But in our exuberance, we should continue to be mindful of attempts to pull the wool over our eyes and manipulate our emotions.
Who can forget how Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad defeated Barisan Nasional in 2018, riding on promises of reform, only for his 22-month administration to revert to the authoritarian style with which he ran the government during his first 22-year premiership?
I go out on a limb and blame this on Malaysians who got carried away and ignored Dr Mahathir’s chequered history.
Moving forward, all politicians vying for our votes need to be subjected to intense scrutiny; otherwise, history will only repeat itself.
Another example is Rafizi Ramli, who is now with Bersama. Before being appointed a minister, he was the voters’ darling for exposing the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal and promising to bring down petrol prices, abolish PTPTN loans and tolls, as well as make cars cheaper.
After he became a minister, almost all his promises failed to materialise, and he was roundly mocked over issues such as PADU and remarks such as “don’t eat chicken if it is expensive”.
Now that he is in a new party, is he a changed man just because we are disillusioned with politics as a whole?
By most reckonings, Rafizi was a mediocre minister at best compared with some of his peers, who are regarded as younger leaders, such as Khairy Jamaluddin, Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and Steven Sim.
I am not taking a political stance. I simply implore voters to ask honest, probing questions. Is Barisan Nasional really all that different from before 2022, considering it is still led by many of the same people? Has PAS abandoned its theocratic goals? Has Pakatan Harapan measured up to its promises?
Of course, the list goes on.
It is time we stop repeating the same mistake of placing blind faith in personalities or slogans. Political parties, coalitions and their leaders deserve scrutiny for their competence, integrity and ability to deliver results. Track record matters!
At the end of the day, elections are not popularity contests. They are job interviews for those seeking to govern our country and chart its future. If we focus on track records instead of sweet promises, Malaysia will be better served. – June 18, 2026
Vincent Kang Cheng Huat is a Scoop reader