Out with the old, in with the new
It is the end of the year and time to pause and take a look at my year. I am torn between the good and evil - particularly when it comes to the environment surrounding my country, Malaysia.
2021 was rather painful, dramatic and has not been very kind to the local stock market. We had to cope with the neverending story of COVID-19 mutations, scrupulous politicians, kakistocracy government, bad politics, bad governance, and to cap 2021, sudden floods.
It doesn't matter how big or small your house is. Many are reckoning with individual losses, including illness and death due to COVID19 and natural disasters. What a year it has been!
I have retreated into myself over the past year and found myself reaching out less and less to friends and close families, as if I’ve become used to living life alone in isolation.
But at the same time 2021 also opened our eyes and was able to make us do what had previously seemed impossible: dismantle the status quo to change our habits and lifestyles.
My family spent more time together, daily worries like getting places on time and rushed meals turned to relaxed time spent walking the neighbourhood, surfing the internet after dinner, and ordering foods and clothes online.
For some people, the year seemed like the beginning of the end and to some, not the end of the world. Many like my daughters and son have moved ahead with a resolve to make this a new beginning.
For example, my daughter did well with her online business with the help of our PM8 Tan Sri Muhyiddin from BERSATU and his government PRIHATIN program. But, the fact that my daughter works from her home means that she end up working longer hours with her kids running around and taking care of her elderly in-laws. Work itself has become more stressful and intense, which makes her teeter on the edge of burnout almost constantly.
That's life working from home during the pandemic. One thing for certain in life is that it has both its ups and downs - pros and cons.
Muafakat Nasional
Umno and PAS formed the MN alliance in September 2019 as an electoral understanding with the main aim of uniting the Malay-Muslim vote. There is no formula and strategy and MN is just a competition of sorts to be more Malay, more Islamic and to be populist in order to win over the Malay psyche. Just sort of hanging by a thread, nothing concrete about it. However, with a landslide victory by BN in Melaka, Umno has come to the realization that the coalition can go at it alone, again ditching its “fair-weather” friends such as PAS and at one time, BERSATU.
It is clear that political parties are here to stay, an unavoidable part of democracy. Whether political parties made modern democracy, or whether they are an inextricable weed in its garden, is a question that social science research does not yet answer.
New Year 2022
Cheers to the New Year! We hope this new year take away all your sorrows, brings new hope and challenges to meet, help you reach your goal, and celebrate success with your loved ones.
May 2022 be an extraordinary one for all of us! And remember: You don’t have to—and shouldn’t—give up on hope that things will get better, even if you feel disappointed or silly now. Hope is never a silly thing. In fact, it is actually quite a beautiful one.
- TESSA AMAN 29 December 2021
----------------------------------------
A Gift from Bob
Drawn from the hugely successful books, it is a sequel to the very popular 2016 movie, A Street Cat Named Bob. Once again I have been transported into the life of James and Bob.
With his candor and honesty, James shares his innermost thoughts of his journey to who he is today because of Bob, the street cat. There are certain truths about cats that are universal. They are cute. We love them. They love us. Unconditionally.
For those who haven’t seen the first film, the party becomes a neat summary of the story of A Street Cat Named Bob. Cat-lovers should know that the real-life Bob died in June 2020.
I am a cat lover. I’ve had 20 cats over 40 years, and just two now. The first died 30 years ago; the most recent death was November this year. I still grieve for each of them, but can talk about them and laugh at the happy and funny memories.
You may say I’m exaggerating. It’s just a cat, a pet, an animal. You can always replace one with another one. It's the deal you make having pets - you know they don't live for very long and you will be devastated when you lose them. But the fun, love, companionship and joy they bring is worth the pain at the end and the massive hole they invariably leave.
For those of us who are animal lovers and who are by themselves, having a pet is like having a miniature human. Many people won’t understand this. It may be difficult to comprehend. Hard to accept. But yes, our animals can replace humans for comfort and reassurance in many instances.
The problem with all living things is that they all die in the end. And cats have relatively short lives - on average 17 years. But that’s life. We lose some, we gain some. We love, we hurt. We hope for a good long life filled with happy moments. We don’t always get what we hope for.
- TESSA 26 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Opportunity Lost
A crisis will separate the boys from the girls, in this instance, a true leader from a wannabe.
Our PM, Ismail Bera, has lost the opportunity to show and proof that he is truly a leader during the recent flood crisis. He should have used this crisis to stamp his authority. Nope. this weakling shows none of it.
Even his speech does not inspires confident. Let alone his personality. No charisma. His advisers are truly nincompoops. None advised him to rise above the occasion and seize the opportunity. He is so afraid of losing his PM position and UMNO post that he cannot see the forest for the trees.
He should have discarded his fear of the two criminals and go for the kill with this crisis. It does not matter if your premiership will be shortlived but at least by taking a firm, affirmative action on the floods, the people will respect and this is the accolade that leaders wish for.
You will be known as someone who knows what to do during a crisis, who can direct and command. Again, No. Zilch. Nitch. No leadership qualities.
Repeat, he dares not seize the moment due to political interests. So Ismail Bera will leave a legacy as a failure. If the interests of the people are truly close to his heart (not his position) his actions would have been different. Still, blame the hangers on around him for giving him bad advise.
This crisis would have made him a man respected as a true leader. Alas, it is not the case.
Read Here:
More Trouble Ahead For The PM
- AMAN 24 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Flash Floods
Flood news, everywhere. As most people are well aware, the immediate impacts of flooding include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to waterborne diseases. When you read the news, sometimes it can feel like the only things reported are terrible, depressing events.
Surprise, surprise. Another news, story involves two politicians. Noh blames haphazard Selangor flood response on 'confused' MB. Noh, the Minister says he's still state NSC chief, while Amirudin, the MB heads disaster management.
The problem here is both of them are "wakil rakyat" from Selangor. It doesn't matter to the rakyat, if one is from UMNO, the other from PKR, just do your job. Based on media reports, Noh is also trying to rope help from PAS to win the next GE15. And ofcourse, that's another story.
To BERSATU members, who tend to be so UMNOish or PKRish, you are now BERSATU, so just "bersatu". As the saying goes, never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.
My unsung heroes of 2021 were former PM Muhyiddin and DG MOH Dr Noor Hisham, and the people of Malaysia; they stayed home, they got vaccinated, and they stuck it out through lockdown after lockdown.
And ofcourse, Omicron and flash floods could yet derail Christmas and the holidays. Yes, I know the heartache of seeing treasured property ruined, the backache of cleaning up, the cost of repairing that which could be fixed. Over and over. But we’ve made the best we could of 2021, and that’s worth celebrating.
Merry Christmas all!
- TESSA 23 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Throwback
It’s been a bit of a nightmare for many residents in Shah Alam after that non-stop rain on Friday. Basically the whole of Shah Alam was inundated with lots of muddy water on the road. It's just unbelievable.
I woke up on Saturday morning just shaking. I have no idea. I can't go out. What am I going to do? Food and medication supply is almost finished. What am I going to do? But nobody in the family was prepared for this. It was devastating, It was like a movie, a nightmare movie.
When we heard the news that flood victims were placed at our nearby mosque we searched the pantry to spare some food for them. But we can't give much, as we did not fill our stock earlier. We saw the news that some cars got washed away and formed a pile of ruined and soiled vehicles. To put things simply: cars and water don’t get along, generally speaking.
The transportation links between cities via port, road or trains, broke down. The closures are limiting companies’ ability to import and export. Eventually it's going to really hurt supply chains. It's like we are back in the year 2020 at the beginning of COVID19 pandemic. It's a living nightmare — that's the only way I can describe it.
This flash flood can happen suddenly, particularly in densely populated areas. The government is giving RM1,000 for each household hit by floods. But what about all of the people who are elderly and retired and don't have money coming in? Please don't ask them to go to the Department of Social Welfare to face a well dressed man and get no answer.
Based on projected data by the Statistics Department, the country is expected to be an aging nation in 2030 in which 15.3 percent of the country's population will be 60 years old and above. At that time, the number of senior citizens in the country will reach 5.8 million from a total population of 38.1 million. What is the government going to do about that? And for God’s sake, please don’t walk around telling people you’re a Minister-MP. We need less talk and more action or, at least, a better balance.
- TESSA 22 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Floods
Flooding is hard to predict and prepare for. But floods happen.
Many residents in parts of Selangor spent the night in their cars last Friday, caught in a massive traffic jam, due to heavy downpours since the morning.
And if you’ve ever thought that your home could never be affected, you should know that floods can happen almost anywhere, at any time. It does not choose its victims unless you are located on very high grounds.
Even six inches of fast-flowing water can knock you over, and a depth of two feet will float your car. Never try to walk, swim or drive through such swift water. If you come upon flood waters, STOP! TURN AROUND AND GO ANOTHER WAY.
Frogs
Frogs thrive in humid weather. Although frogs live on land, their habitat must be near swamps, ponds or in a damp place. But one thing frogs do need is clean, healthy water. They are very sensitive to water quality. If you just fill the tank with tap water and toss the frogs into it, they will almost surely die within a few days or weeks.
You must have heard that the urine of frogs makes you blind. But hang on, that's just a myth. However, this urine is non-toxic & can't blind humans. But of course, when frogs pee in your eyes, it can become difficult to see temporarily.
The Political Frogs, that's another story. Usually when a political party wins big they call their opponents as Frogs. Afterall who needs political frogs if you can form a government on your own without having other parties in it.
Lastly, based on the news on UMNO that I read online recently, I have come to the conclusion; UMNO President - Senile. UMNO PM - Lackadaisical. UMNO Selangor and UMNO Pulau Pinang - Selfish. They all are too concerned with their party's welfare and their vested, personal interests, having no concern for others. In short, the leaders are so self-centered. I much prefer the 2 former PMs from BERSATU, Tun Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin.
- TESSA AMAN 19 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Cook vs Chef
I described myself as a cook, not a chef. I learned to cook through trial and error. Both at home and school.
Since primary school, I am always in my Mom's kitchen, helping Mom to prepare meals. When I was a school kid, we did learn these things in school under Home Economics.
Everybody who came out of my secondary school can hem the skirts, sew on a button, bake a cake and scramble an egg. We never went to culinary school. Not sure if they still do this but these things have stood me in good stead for a very long time now.
Now that I am a Mom myself, cooking skills come mainly from my own kitchen, cooking for my family.
You can visit my pages https://secangkuk.blogspot.com/p/gourmet.html and
https://secangkuk.blogspot.com/p/gourmet1.html for simple, cheap and easy recipes.
Booster Shot
As you've probably heard, COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are now available for walk-ins at designated private clinics in Malaysia, following the Omicron's rise.
I didn’t expect anything major when I got my Pfizer booster recently. The next day, I had a sore arm—that was it. I still had mild side effects such as insomnia, itching around the injection site and diarrhea.
But luckily I was able to rest. No headache, fatigue, no nothing. Just an incredible sense of peace of mind.
Two others in my house who received Pfizer’s booster shots only experienced mild fever with no other side effects.
I just want to have a normal year in 2022 for my family, and it’s the right thing to do, and the vaccine is the path forward for us all. I also wouldn't want to put my family at risk. Still, with the booster shots the SOP has to be adhered to.
So folks don’t worry about getting your booster shots. Compared with your last dose, your booster shot should be a much smoother experience. Let's have a happier new year this time around.
- TESSA 18 December 2021
----------------------------------------
16 Days
After 16 days of our cat, Harry, passing away, we’re still missing him very much. He was a very special cat. Harry was so eccentric, funny and cute. Even people who didn't like cats adored him.
It never fails to amaze me the inappropriate things people say. As if another cat could replace Harry. And to tell you that this is life, everyone dies. It seems so callous and insensitive.
When my significant other and I lost our Harry, we were both devastated. I cried for 5 days and my significant other just wanted to be left alone.
Eventually, we both were able to move past the loss, but Harry was never far from our thoughts. We talk about him all the time and he’s alive in our hearts.
We still have two cats. Ju and Mi. We have adopted a total of 4 cats from the animal shelter. One of the cats named Abu disappeared. No idea what became of her. We searched our area but found no body.
While the pandemic continues to devastate communities around the world, it is apparent that the COVID-19 virus will be among us for a long time. Due to this, we doubt we’ll live long enough to expect to adopt more cats from the animal shelter. I really don’t want them to outlive me and go to a shelter again or perhaps be put down by my children due to their advanced age after my death.
- TESSA 16 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Tell-Alls
Prince Harry has shocked the royal world with the news that he's writing a tell-all book. I don’t actually like family tell-all books, especially when it comes to royal families with fame and power. That book is scheduled to be published in late 2022.
Marina Mahathir has a new tell-all book "The Apple and the Tree: Life as Dr Mahathir’s Daughter". I didn't buy the book. I rather buy detergent to wash my dirty laundry. I have nothing against her personally, it's just my laundry, a much better bet.
A political memoir is primarily useful to the person who writes it. Writing a tell-all book has increasingly become a brand-building exercise, especially for politicians. In Malaysia there's no difference, the election season is in full swing, and emotions are running high.
Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Marina's dad) has recently penned another book “Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia”. Earlier the former AG Tommy Thomas wrote his memoir titled "My Story: Justice in the Wilderness".
And the latest to join the bandwagon is Najib's ex-consultant Romen Bose "Final Reckoning: An Insider’s View of the Fall of Malaysia’s Barisan Nasional Government".
You know, those are political tell-alls books. Very damaging to certain individuals. If we have learned anything from these tell-alls, it's that democracy is difficult and a tough game for players to play.
Najib Razak is one of the most controversial Prime Ministers to have led Malaysia. In my opinion, the boss should know what's going on. If you can't, then you shouldn't be the boss. Giving excuses this and that and about how the staff curry-flavoured the boss is not a good idea at all. For those who worked for Najib but later turned on him, why did you stick with him?
But is there anyone who still buys these tell-all stories?
Of course, lots of people, especially their fans, are willing to purchase these books, but it seems to me there is no reason to continue to buy the fundamental premise of them.
- TESSA 15 December 2021
----------------------------------------
What's Up?
Social Media is one aspect of technology that has recently taken the world by storm, affecting others’ lives as well as my own. I liked social media when it was first introduced. For example, when Facebook was introduced to me in December 2008, I made some great connections with people around the world and had a lot of fun chatting and playing online games with them.
Now, I mostly use Facebook just to keep up with my family and friends. Facebook was once mostly fun, but not any more. It is now all about ads. Thanks to technology, you can make money doing just about anything from home (just keep it legal, guys).
I do start my day with my blog. I grab a coffee and head straight to the computer before the rest of my family wakes. I love being creative with different projects and ideas and blogging allows me to express that. There are so many things that I love about being a blogger but we’d be here all day if I were to list them all.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Much has been said about the way in which social media is affecting society today. Social media has changed the world. The rapid and vast adoption of these technologies is changing how we find partners, how we access information from the news, and how we organize to demand political change.
Unfortunately, most remarks or comments currently have been negative. Yes, it has been used by the unscrupulous to further their own ends and agendas. Readers have to be careful in accessing the information. Need to countercheck and not to be taken at face value.
There were 28.00 million (out of a total population of 32 million) social media users in Malaysia in January 2021. This is equivalent to 86.0% of total population. The number of social media users in Malaysia increased by 2.0 million (+7.7%) between 2020 and 2021. Let us hope that this does not reflect on the number of cybertroopers (with more than ten accounts per person) working for vested political interests.
The increase in social media use over the last decade has, of course, come together with a large increase in the amount of time that people spend online. Given the above, what will social media’s impact be on the upcoming GE15 and beyond (with cybertroopers working overtime?)
- TESSA AMAN 13 December 2021
----------------------------------------
EGGY
I am a Malay lady. I sometimes don't understand the Malay language. I'm more familiar with bahasa pasar.
This "KEABSAHAN" at first I thought a Malay lady name 'HABSAH". I said to my significant other, "Why not we instead use "KETIMAHAN" for "TIMAH". That will be fun, don't you think so?". Timah is my cousin's sister name.
Ofcourse I am not talking about TIMAH whiskey. I'm okay with that name. Besides, I don't drink whiskey. And also this word "KHILAF" I thought of it as sprain ankles. Don't laugh. I was from a Convent School. Simple language "SEKOLAH ORANG PUTIH".
In the old days, if you went to MCKK - Malay College Kuala Kangsar, you were not only clever but also from a well to do family. I know one of my cousin's brothers studied there. If you go to any boarding school in Malaysia or abroad you are not only clever but very lucky too. You know why, 'DAPAT BIASISWA".
Malay words can be very confusing, at least to me. But I understood the word "UMMAH". Ummah is an Arabic word meaning "community". I don't understand why UMNO doesn't know what it means, or pretends not to know what it's all about.
It's hard for me to read news such as, You can, I cannot. Look at Najib's statement, why Mahathir can, I cannot. I feel like asking Najib the same thing, why You can, I cannot.
Two people in the same situation being held to a different expectation or standard is known as a double standard and can lead to many ethical implications. People use double standards both intentionally and unintentionally, for various reasons. However, both intentional and unintentional use of double standards can be emotional in nature, and both can lead to similar outcomes in practice.
Last but not least, Why is Najib still not in jail? Why are the Royals not stripping him of the awards bestowed on him? Will these actions erode the people's confidence in the Malay upper class. That they are not beyond reproach. Explain to me like I'm a 5 year old child.
- TESSA 9 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Yong, Peng & Q
This COVID-19 pandemic forced change for a lot of people. It made us question everything in our lives; our careers, our priorities, even where we live in the world.
Yong, my hairstylist, had no choice but to send his 3 kids to stay with his mom down south. Due to the pandemic his salon was forced to shut down many times in a year. Before the pandemic, Yong’s budget looked much different. He was able to spend thousands on overseas trips and treating his friends and family to meals and drinks out.
My residential electrician, Peng, refused to spend his money on unnecessary things. When the country went into lockdown, Peng revealed that he felt like he had reached a dead-end in his life. Because of the economic downturn, Peng still suffered huge losses; patronage of electric materials and his house-to-house business services dropped.
When the pandemic began dentists temporarily shut down their clinics for all but emergency appointments, while 99% of dentists have reopened, the number of patients visiting the clinics still remains below usual levels. Q, my dentist, doesn't expect it to improve much more anytime soon despite significant safety measures they’ve rolled out to protect themselves and patients from COVID-19.
Like Yong, Peng and Q, we are all in different situations but struggling with the same problems.
Last thought, on the AG. Same AG behaves differently while under PM A and PM B, so that means the problem is not the AG, but the PM. As simple as that. By the way, do you need advisers to advise you on that?
- TESSA 6 December 2021
----------------------------------------
What's Next?
Raise your hand if you’re tired of hearing about COVID-19. I feel bad even writing this, but all of this non-stop conversation about COVID-19 is depressing me. Delta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and now Omicron.
I’m tired of defending the simple idea that deaths are preventable. I’m tired of reading stories on it. Because I honestly feel that most of these stories I read do not make a difference.
Most people want to do the “right thing” when it comes to following public health measures, such as wearing a mask, not mixing with friends and family, and also getting vaccinated. Yet after what feels like the neverending stories of lockdowns, travel restrictions and COVID-19 saturated government messages. I'm just a bit over it.
It can be really hard for me to stick long-term with a situation that can feel like it’s all downside and no upside. Government should acknowledge this hardship through messages of empathy and hope. They should also create opportunities to ease the feelings of life being put on hold.
- TESSA 3 December 2021
----------------------------------------
Story of Harry
Harry, our Mainecoon cat, died suddenly on Tuesday morning Nov 30. Something in the room had shifted. Still, I sat there and stared at his frail ribs, waiting for his chest to rise just once. But I knew.
He was our indoor cat that was adopted from PAWS back in 2016. Though I knew he was kind of sickly, yet I adopted him. I guess his owner, whom I believed to be a breeder, must have abandoned him when it was realised he did not fit into their 'standards'. A funny character that gave me precious, unforgettable moments. My therapist.
Since early this year Harry was given oxygen therapy every two months, three times a month. I thought he was getting better, until this morning, when he passed away. And now I just sit here watching the empty space around the house where he used to sit.
I'm crying while writing this, I'm sorry that I failed to understand him and didn't hug him one last time. I wish I did more for him but I keep reminding myself that I did all I could and loved him with all of my heart.
I didn't shed a single tear on the death of many people I've known all my life, because I didn't have an emotional connection with them, whereas the death of my cat Harry left me broken hearted through the bond he has created.
- TESSA AMAN 30 Nov 2021
----------------------------------------
Shape Up or Ship Out
I find setting strict rules regarding what I will or won’t eat doesn’t work in the long term. And yes, it's normal to immediately switch my attention to food. Especially in stressful times. I am the type that finds comfort in food when stressed.
I guess many will be surprised to know that Malaysia has the highest prevalence of obesity among adults in South East Asia. According to analysis from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019, 50.1% of our adult population were reported to be overweight (30.4%) or obese (19.7%). Obesity is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and several cancers such as breast, large intestine, pancreas and kidney. Compared with normal-weight individuals, obesity increases the risks of type 2 diabetes by 7 fold in men and 12 fold in women.
Our family physician Dr Saiful, recommended eating in half portions to maintain a healthy body and weight. It’s a simple way to cut back on our calories and prevent overeating. Like if you have nobody to share with at a restaurant, you can always ask the waiter to wrap up half your meal for you to take home. Other than that, perform moderate intensity exercise, 30 minutes a day (5 days/week) or 150 minutes a week, to stay healthy.
The bottom line: We followed his recommendations. If you find that you always leave a restaurant feeling like you totally overdid it, try the half-portion trick. Otherwise just stick to the serving size you know you can eat at one sitting without feeling too full.
Last but not least, our new government's branding "Keluarga Malaysia". In my opinion, there needs to be a good reason, supported by strong logic and compelling facts, to support a move towards a new slogan from Kerajaan Prihatin to Keluarga Malaysia, or BPN to BKC etc. Change for change’s sake has a much greater chance of backfiring than paying off. Every politician should know the mantra. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't lie to your voters. Don't cheat the rakyat". It seems so simple and so clear. That's because you don't build a strong brand by failing to deliver!
- TESSA 28 Nov 2021
----------------------------------------
Apolitical
Food prices have been rising through 2021 and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Malaysia increased 2.2 per cent in September 2021 to 122.8 as against 120.1 in the same month of the preceding year.
And one food item has gotten especially pricey - meat (beef, chicken and fish). They’re not likely to fall any time soon, thanks to a combination of poor weather, increased demand and virus-mangled global supply chains.
The price rise is forcing us to change our weekly grocery planning. On the positive side, there’s also great bargains out there, depending on how the supermarkets are marketing their products.
Some things are going up in price, but other things may be going down. We try to look for the things that are going down rather than buying things that are going up. And we are also very intentional about how much we spend.
Immunity to higher food prices requires more home cooking than before. It’s as simple as that. Take time to visit our page https://secangkuk.blogspot.com/p/gourmet.html
Before, I was able to have a diet rich in all kinds of meat, fish, and different types of vegetables. Now, I got smaller pieces of tofu and tempeh with the same price as last month, so I'm going to need to eat less. It's not that I feel hungry. It's just stressing to see that now I have limitations that I didn't have before.
On another issue, still on the Malacca state election, I would say positioning is the foremost important part in politics. Political branding such as ABAH prihatin, TOK GURU ulamak, BOSSKU kaki joli. But in the end, BOSSKU kaki joli won. All things considered, the election says alot about the Melakan's voters, whoever it may be. Be jolly, be happy!
- TESSA 26 Nov 2021
----------------------------------------
Knives Out
Personally, I hate politics because they bring out the worst in people. It seems like nobody on either side is able to engage in mature, logical debate. Everyone just lets their emotions get the better of them. I don’t have room for that kind of negativity in my life.
MALACCA STATE ELECTION 2021
Some politicians are happy with the outcome of the Malacca state election; others may express sadness, anger, or confusion if those from their party do not win.
At the same time, some Melakans may feel the same as above; they may feel as if their choice of candidates or parties have been cheated out of victory.
Various people have come up with different explanations. Some think we need fresh blood. Others think none of the parties are better than the rest.
The emotions triggered by the Malacca state election’s outcomes are liable to remain with us for weeks or months.
But there's another big important question re the Melaka Election: What is the actual stand of those not voting (or in this case boycott) — and what impact does that have? Currently, Melaka has 495,195 registered voters, an increase from 494,662 in the 14th general election. 254,666 or 51.43% of whom are women and the remaining 240,530 or 48.57% men. With 65.85pc voter turnout, I have no idea where this will lead us in GE15, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both peculiar and odd.
- TESSA 25 Nov 2021
----------------------------------------
2021 Malacca state election (Pilihan raya negeri Melaka 2021)
Number of seats contested according to party:
- Pakatan Harapan
PKR – 11 seats
AMANAH – 9 seats
DAP – 8 seats
- Perikatan Nasional
BERSATU – 15 seats
PAS – 8 seats
GERAKAN – 5 seats
- Barisan Nasional
UMNO – 20 seats
MCA – 7 seats
MIC – 1 seat
- PUTRA
5 seats
- Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (IMAN)
1 seat
- Independent
22 seats
The 2021 Malacca state election has been described by academics, pundits and reporters alike as perhaps the most important election in MALAYSIA. There are those who gave full-throated support of BN, despite their unorthodox behaviour over the years. There are those who gave full support for the untrustworthy PH. There are those who support the new PN, who promises to restore integrity and unify the country in the wake of COVID 19 pandemic.
The election results; BN won 21 seats. PH won five seats. PN won two.
Yet, despite what I know, I still don’t think much about the game of polictics. I don’t really care who won, my life won’t get any better and I’m so glad it’s over. I worry about putting food on the table, paying bills for my family's needs in years to come.
- TESSA 21 Nov 2021
----------------------------------------
