MATURE VOTERS CREATE GREAT POLITICIANS

 

MATURE VOTERS CREATE GREAT POLITICIANS

Every election season, Malaysians spend endless hours criticizing politicians. We complain about corruption. We complain about incompetence. We complain about empty promises. We complain about racism and religious politics. While these complaints are entirely valid and remain matters of grave concern, perhaps it is time we asked ourselves a much harder question.

What if the real problem is not only our politicians? What if the real problem is also us, the voters?

Democracy is a mirror. The quality of our politicians will rarely rise above the maturity of the people who elect them. If voters reward competence, integrity, and service, political parties will field better candidates. Conversely, if voters reward fear, personality cults, and racial or religious emotions, political parties will continue producing exactly those kinds of politicians.

Furthermore, many of us judge political parties with broad brushes instead of assessing individual leaders fairly. We assume an entire party is either inherently good or bad, and we stop looking at the person standing before us. In doing so, we ignore those who struggle to do their best and do things right within their respective organizations - individuals who may even be suppressed or pushed aside because they are seen as change agents who might dilute the current power structure, self-interest, and bureaucracy.

Let us look at some objective examples.

Some dismiss PAS as backward simply because it is an Islamist party. Yet, under Sanusi Md Nor’s administration, Kedah has attracted significant foreign investment from multinational companies. Investors are interested in execution, stability, and productivity - not stereotypes. Furthermore, Dr. Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, their likely Prime Minister-in-waiting, is an aerospace engineer.

On the other hand, there are Malaysians who continue to see DAP as nothing more than a Chinese chauvinist party. Yet, leaders such as Hannah Yeoh have consistently tried to project a more inclusive and Malaysian approach. Whether one agrees with her politics or not, she should be judged on her own words, actions, and record - not simply by old labels attached to her party. The same applies to other capable talents within the party, like Yeo Bee Yin and Liew Chin Tong.

The same principle applies to UMNO. The party deserves criticism for the corruption scandals and abuses of power that have damaged public confidence over the years; those criticisms are entirely justified. At the same time, mature voters must recognize another historical reality: from Merdeka until today, every single Prime Minister of Malaysia has either come from UMNO or received significant political training and experience within it, including Anwar Ibrahim. For decades, UMNO operated as one of the country’s principal leadership schools, producing not only Malay leaders but many who carried national responsibilities as Malaysian leaders. Leaders such as Idris Jusoh and Ahmad Shabery Cheek are clear examples of politicians respected for their capability, commitment, and public service, regardless of whether one agreed with every policy they championed.

A mature voter is able to hold both truths at the same time. Reality is rarely black and white. People are nuanced; parties are not.

Unfortunately, we have seen capable leaders lose not because they suddenly became ineffective, but because they were swept away by national narratives and emotional waves. Shabery Cheek is a case in point. Whatever one’s political preference, few would deny his commitment as both a minister and a Member of Parliament, particularly in preparing Kemaman for floods and serving his constituency. Yet, he lost during a period when national emotions overpowered personal performance.

The same happened to Saifuddin Abdullah. Although widely respected for his moderation and intellectual depth, standing as the UMNO–Barisan Nasional candidate, he lost the Temerloh parliamentary seat in GE13 to PAS Information Chief Nasrudin Hassan. Ironically, many voters who chose PAS over UMNO in that instance would ordinarily have disagreed with many of Nasrudin’s positions. Yet, the political narrative of the day proved stronger than an objective assessment of the individual candidate. When mature leaders lose simply because they belong to the "wrong" party, everyone loses.

Political parties are intensely practical organizations. They observe who wins, they observe who loses, and more importantly, they observe why.

If voters reward racial rhetoric, parties will produce more racial champions. If voters reward fear, parties will manufacture more fear. If voters reward personalities, parties will promote celebrities. But if voters consistently reward integrity, competence, inclusiveness, and service, every political party - whether PAS, UMNO, DAP, PKR, Bersatu, Amanah, Warisan, MUDA, or any other - will gradually promote more leaders who embody those qualities.

There is another vital reason why mature voting matters: every vote strengthens a specific current inside a political party.

When voters repeatedly support leaders like Hannah Yeoh because they believe inclusive politics deserves encouragement, they strengthen that progressive current within DAP. When voters reward leaders like Sanusi Md Nor for effective administration and economic performance, they strengthen the results-oriented faction within PAS. When voters support capable leaders such as Saifuddin Abdullah, Shabery Cheek, Idris Jusoh, and many others because of their competence and character, they send a powerful signal that Malaysians value quality leadership above blind party loyalty.

In time, these leaders become more influential within their own organizations. Others begin to notice, and political parties adapt. That is how succession planning works - not only in corporate companies, but also in politics.

The succession planning of great political leadership begins with mature voters. Every mature vote is an investment - not just in one candidate, and not just in one election, but in the future leadership of that political party and, ultimately, the future leadership of Malaysia.

Perhaps that is the uncomfortable truth we must face. The next election is not merely a test of political parties; it is a test of us.

If enough Malaysians vote beyond race, religion, personalities, fear, and blind party loyalty, every political party will eventually receive the exact same message: "If you want our vote, send us your best women and men."

Only then will we consistently raise the quality of Parliament. Only then will we consistently raise the quality of government.

Because mature voters create great politicians.

Peace,

Anas Zubedy