KUALA LUMPUR: The voting patterns of the youth in the 14th general election showed that they wanted an administration which was anchored on the law.
Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah said that the message given by the voters was loud and clear; and the change in government occurred due to a trust deficit towards factors that were related to corruption and abuse of power.
He said there was a shift in priorities among the people when they placed more importance on wanting an administration which was anchored on the law, rather than wanting to focus on the charisma of certain individuals.
“The voting pattern among the younger generation saw them rejecting any form of vote canvassing method
that involved sensationalising religious and racial issues. This was a less effective pull factor (for gaining votes)
“The voters were more concerned about good governance,” said Sultan Nazrin when launching the book titled ‘Reflections on Malaysian Unity and Other Challenges’ here today.
The book, which is a compilation of commentaries and articles written by Yayasan Perpaduan Malaysia Board of Trustee chairman Dr Chandra Muzaffar, is published by Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd.
With only 22 days to go till the 61st National Day celebration, Sultan Nazrin said Malaysian history
has shown how every transition of power had been free of any untoward incident.
He said the fact that voters were brave enough to vote for a change in government, and the subsequent peaceful transition of power reflected upon the solid foundation of democracy which was being practiced in the country.
“The government, which has been given the mandate to rule, must read the sentiments of the voters accurately. Political parties, which want to survive longer must also be guided by the sentiments of voters.
“Voters sentiments have shown that they are attracted to good governance and transparency, and this has signalled how much less sensational religious and racial issues affect them.
“This will give more room for the country’s political culture to progress along a similar vein,” said Sultan Nazrin.
When touching on challenges faced in maintaining the people’s unity, the ruler said the usage of Bahasa Malaysia was part of the “recipe” of success when it came to narrowing the gaps of understanding among the different races.
Sultan Nazrin said that there were many naysayers in the past who had criticised the effectiveness of Bahasa Malaysia in uniting the various races, particularly during the post-independence years.
However, the power of Bahasa Malaysia was such that it successfully united the various races and religions, and this proved the naysayers wrong.
“It is true that there were many challenges that came in the way of efforts to uphold unity, but which country in this world did not face a similar situation?” said the ruler.