By M.Krishnamoorthy
A former Associate Professor, author, media coach, and journalist
Three days before August 1st, the date of the Negeri Sembilan Election, the GoodCast Show examined "Why?" What? and How? Malaysians vote?
In an exclusive commentary headlined “Your Vote Decides,” in the GoodCast Show, hosted by Vinodh Rajendran, probing questions were posed about the influences on our psyche that shape how we vote.
“When you walk into that polling booth. Who will you be thinking about? Yourself? Your race? Your religion? Your fears? Or will you think about the single mother struggling to survive? Or the estate worker who has no one speaking for him?" Vinoth asked about the mental psyche of Malaysian voters.
In his inimitable and transparent GoodCast style of questioning: “Why did you vote the way you did? Was your vote driven by fear or by hope? By prejudice...or by compassion? Or by Identity or Humanity?” Vinodh asked.
Vinodh shows features in-depth conversations, social commentary, and interviews on Malaysian politics, society, and identity.
“On the 1st August, no one needs to know who you voted for. That is your right. But perhaps there is a more important question. Because elections are reflections of us. The future of Negeri Sembilan will not be decided by who wins. It will be decided by why we voted. You decide,” Vinoth commented.
“The nation's politics understood something long before we did. Human beings rarely need to be divided if they already believe they are different. Perhaps politicians aren't always creating divisions. Sometimes, they merely speak to divisions that already exist. Sometimes, they reinforce fears rather than create them.”
“And perhaps that is why racial rhetoric or religious rhetoric or identity politics continue to work. Not because people are hateful. But because familiarity often feels safer than empathy,” commentator Vinodh added.
Looking back, Vinodh reflected: “It sometimes feels as though school taught us something far greater than algebra. It taught us identity. Not as human beings. As categories. Once that idea had taken root, the rest became easy. Your skin colour. Your religion. Your language. Your background. Gradually, these became the lenses through which we viewed everyone else. No one forced us. It became normal.”
Then, Vinodh added: “Came university. The divisions didn't disappear. They simply became more sophisticated. Race-based societies. Religious associations. Language groups. Sub-ethnic communities. None of these is inherently wrong. Community matters. Culture matters. Faith matters. They give people belonging. But sometimes belonging becomes a boundary.”
Vinodh examined the psychographics of Malaysians in greater depth. Psychographics is the study of people based on their psychological traits, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles. It explains the "why" behind human choices and consumer behaviour, rather than just basic external facts.
“We became increasingly comfortable surrounding ourselves with people who looked like us, who spoke like us. Believed like us, and thought like us. We consumed media in our own languages. We celebrated within our own circles. We dated within our own communities. We were encouraged -- sometimes openly, sometimes subtly – to marry, our own kind".
“And, somewhere in all of this there is an irony that is difficult to ignore. For all our differences, the only kind that any of us were born as was humankind. In other words, culture should be a bridge. Not build a wall,” Vinodh eloquently described the Malaysian psyche on why and how they make the big decision to vote.
In the final analysis, whenever an election comes, vote with your conscience. Vote for integrity. Vote for stability. Vote for a brighter future for Malaysia. It's your vote that decides the future leadership of Malaysia, which does not fear race, religious leanings, or upbringing. It's all in your mind and hands to choose a wise and smart leader or an untrustworthy, corrupt leader
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (https://helloimkrishna.com/) is a media coach, former Associate Professor, and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German, and Australian Television networks, and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns.
M. Krishnamoorthy (krishnamuthaly@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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