Dear sir

Dear sir,

I am a Malaysian citizen studying in the UK. I have lived here for 6 years now.

In that time, I have voted 3 times here - because Commonwealth citizens are allowed to vote in UK elections, and it is good citizenship to exercise the right to vote.

So far in the UK I have voted in a city council election, an European Parliament election and the Brexit referendum.

I am registered to vote as a postal voter for the Malaysian GE14. But it is the 8th of May and my ballot paper has yet to arrive.

Dear sir,

Isn’t it tragic that I, a citizen of Malaysia, finds it much easier to exercise my RIGHT to vote in a FOREIGN land than in my own country?

Dear sir,

Isn’t it tragic that the best case scenario is that the Election Commission is just too incompetent to allow postal voters to vote,

and that the worst case scenario is that the EC is in some way or other purposely denying us the Malaysian diaspora our right?

And isn’t it tragic, dear sir, that when these concerns are brought to you, you answer with a reply so dismissive that it borders on the idiotic?

That you tell us to not “get excited”, with the justification that we are too insignificant in number to decide this election?

That you have missed the point entirely?

That the question at hand, sir, is NOT our “insignificant numbers”, rather it is our RIGHT to take part in our democracy. 

It is a tragedy compounded with irony when an official ELECTED through a democratic process doesn’t seem to understand the basics of democracy.

What’s more a member of cabinet, a DEPUTY MINISTER? 

Dear sir,

Your advice to us postal voters to not “get excited” has been duly noted.

In reply I advice you to not “get excited” for a post in the Cabinet post-GE 14.

Regards,

The insignificant 0.1%

#getexcited