BEING an active politician— member of parliament or assembly person, to me, is bonus.

Not everyone who has keenness in joining politics could have the "specialty" of playing mainstream politics even being a party member for decades.

But, it doesn't also mean that when you are party-less or you don't feel interested to be a member of a political party, you can't contribute your fortes and intelligences towards shaping a greater nation or at least, a better society via channels that fit your credentials.

Like me, I have always been committed to speak up about thinkable matters of Malaysian politics mostly via my penned says, without even having intention of filling membership form to join any political party. Not for now.

I have been, until today, holding a belief that standing as a politically-independent voice is more 'relaxing'— I can freely and openly criticise, comment, advise, and talk about badness, inadequacy and irrelevance of words said by political leaders of both sides without worrying of being sacked, sidelined and "unblessed" by party bosses.

From Twitter to real life

Before I fully realised that I actually have passion in politics, I used to join a so-called social group, which was self-created by a prominent national politician who was once a popular federal minister.

It was about 7 years ago when Twitter was free from brainless millennials and even KJ was yet to be fanatically admired, I happened to be in the minister's first-batch "social family", where its first-ever meet-up held at his Putrajaya office— I had the chance to join it due to my "intimacy" with the minister on Twitter. Every time he tweets, I would have mentioned him.

I felt greatly honoured to be in that exclusively-organised session with the big-name leader, whom I did not expect that he can be so friendly with normal people like me.

Despite being labelled "soundless boy" by him (for being extremely wordless along the session), we, after that, had been a close friend on Twitter. Especially when it came to tweeting about Manchester United.

He had never asked me to join his party nor had indoctrinated us to sow hatred against other political sides. Instead, he remained his humbleness and wide smiles whenever he saw us, especially in functions.

And because of him, I just realised that not every top-class people with prestigious titles is arrogant and can’t have big laughs with.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

A year after GE13, I met, in a casual coffee session, with a DAP's famous politician. I had my opinions conveniently shared with her and the rest of her DAP colleagues, including a young ADUN from Selangor. I had also the space to open up about my frustrations against the then government.

She was a good listener whom I took her as a sisterly-figure politician— she was a very inspiring role-model to those who, at the time, wanted to pursue things in politics at their young ages.

Probably, she had sensed some good things in me as she welcomed me to join her party, which I then softly and politely refused.

Later, during the year’s Ramadhan, she had even invited me to join the party's iftar function. I declined.

This year. A few months ago, I had an eye-to-eye meeting with a well-liked UMNO leader at his PWTC office.

“Why don’t you join UMNO?” he asks me in his very serious face.

He preached me by telling what has UMNO done to me and the society. He also vehemently expressed his philosophy on how an electoral candidate should be chosen.

“What’s the point of choosing young candidate if he or she isn’t capable and unfit to be a wakil rakyat?” He responds to my said curiosity of “Will you prioritise young candidates from your state in GE15?”

Before taking photo, I grabbed the quick seconds to tell him that “We can even hand contributions towards a betterment of this nation in any manner, regardless of their sizes, without joining any political party.”

He was a very serious man I ever met.


Be a commentator or player?

I lepaked with two friends from UMNO on the recent Christmas night. Both are anointed youth information chief and youth chief in their state divisions.

They ask me, “When will you join political party? Come on! Don’t just be a writer.”

Being a typical me, “I will. Not for now.”

The youth chief uses an analogy to depict my undecided political stage, “You choose one— be a commentator or player?”

I like that analogy.

As a retaliatory explanation, I told them that “For now, I don’t see any good point of joining political party. Unless I could be channelled to join one and deliver what I’m good at through a capacity entrusted to me.

The good thing about befriending with them, the UMNO young men, is that they didn’t force me to join their party. Instead, one of them, a son to an infamous Sabahan MP, encouraged me that “If I were you, I join PKR.”

We laughed.

Passive player or contributive commentator?

In football, a useless player brings bad impacts to the team’s overall performance. Especially when he is a striker, his dysfunction on the pitch would cost his team a persistent downturn in the league.

Same goes to politics, values or qualities that what make you a respected party member or leader. There’s no point of being a party member or hold a party position if you are stagnant and have nothing to contribute to the party as well as the people whom you hope to hand you political supports.

It doesn't make you classy if you keep selling your "Ketua Bahagian" or "Ketua Cabang" title to people you meet, but when it comes to discussing about "OPEC members plan to cut oil production 800,000 barrels a day next year," your face turns to a thicky douchebag.

Non-political people like me, who want to get their hands cobbled in "making changes" can also play big roles in their areas of fortes.

Journalists, music composers, film directors and underground writers can always share their views via their artworks. As a writer, I always feel responsible to remind my targeted readers of matters that in full need of their focuses.

Days before the election, I wrote an article, "People will vote for party, not candidates", after I personally smelled that the "decision to vote" among GE14 voters heavily relied on political flags printed on their ballots— as long as they were not BN's.

The "helpful opinion" had inspired many young or first-time voters, including those who had zero ideas about politics, to decide on party or coalition they must vote for.

I convinced my wife to vote for the "PKR's logo". The DUN and also Parliament where she casted her vote won by PH.


Malaysia Memilih

I don't need a political party to get my appearance aired on TV.

For the first time in my life, I verbally talked about politics live on TV (normally I do it over hangouts)—things that some say "only party members can do!"

The TV slot named Malaysia Memilih and it was aired at 5pm. I was hosted by a female host who questioned me on the power of social media in the GE14's political campaigns.

I proved to the people, especially ones in my close circle, that every voice has its own influence, regardless of who we are as long as we believe in what we say.

And five days later, Malaysians changed the government.

To the readers, my intended message behind every story is that we, the youths, can always utilise every means to whisper our thoughts to the ears of Malaysians.

What matters the most is our willingness to contribute. Our actions loudly speak our silent desires. So don't just wish, do it.

To those who are politically enthusiastic, either you want to be in a political party or independent, do things that you are capable with in getting your voices heard and corroborated. Use every available channel to make yourselves an useful Malaysian youth with aspirations for the nation's greatness.

Don't be halted by the barriers that could mar your aims.

Hidup Anak Muda!


* The writer is a yuppie working in the cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur. Writing is his passion.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.