My Orang Kampung

GE13 has ended nevertheless the speculation related though still debated. Who would be my choice, let it remains as secret. Emerging issues are common in every election. I believe it is almost impossible to have election held without issues arising. Since it is based on democracy principle, to we should honor the decision of people of Malaysia. Nevertheless, should there is any dispute the people of Malaysia still has the right to against the result but through a proper channel.

This time around, I want to share my experience exposing myself with orang kampung a few days before the polling day. Meet and chat with friends, uncles and aunties in the village make me realized the gap about their openness to the outside world.

I had opportunity to talk to few uncle and auntie with regard to their opinion for the coming polling day. At glance, I might say that their judgments were based on emotions and perceptions. It utterly shows the exposure of them towards outside world and where the source that they received the information. After all they would be categorized as IT illiterate. When we talked about politics most info that debated by them are among the issues that depicted and displayed by television and newspapers. It could be said that the info were very narrow and they had limited understanding on the information they obtained. Thus, the issues seem biased and not being supported with facts and figures. For me, the strategy to control television and newspaper media is very successful for such people. Not their fault, but their inability to confront the lack of technology may be the factor.

I also grab this long holiday to meet few of my old friends that still faithfully lives in the village. Many of them unable to migrate due to education and opportunity constraints caused them to continue the tradition of working in the village. At least they are not jobless and still gain something to survive. Despite some of them able to have their own business and manage to have a bungalow. When I talked to them about politics it seems not much different from the uncles and aunties that I met before. It appears they have been patterned. When I observed, they are those people who feels that what they have right now is good enough already and they don’t want to take any risk. They afraid any changes of government will jeopardize their survivalist. This has caused them to be in a comfort zone and the shadow with fear by the issues carried out during election campaign progresses. They are not a part of IT illiterate type. They know how to use internet and browse any web. But they have been blinded by propaganda that has been heralded hype.

 

I can feel the difference when I meet and talked my friends who migrated to the more rapidly growing areas and exposed to a variety of media facilities. The level of their thinking is more open and the issue debated is based on facts and figures. They issues that being debated was not based on emotion and perception but reality. The thing that experienced by them. The reality is hardly obtained from media sources controlled by a particular party. They were using new media channels since the existing media has served them with bias and distort information. For them youtube, facebook, twitter and google are among sources that they could believe and be part of their library to search information. It seems that each of them hunger for information. Not just information but quality information. I believe Malaysia should have people with this type of traits to ensure our survival. 

What ever it is, i really hope my orang kampung has made a right choice. The choice is in your hand. Change doesn't mean will end up with bad thing. Remaining the existing one also does not promise a better tomorrow. As a wise citizen, respect the democracy principle if it is done with honor and proper way.