..... [a picture that show political leaders campaigning at the election rally as show in the local daily, The Star today]

It is already four in the afternoon, time pass so fast these day..... I was out to do some shopping at the nearby mall.... did some banking as well..... browse along the used product store and back home..... I notice the clock struck three..... took a late lunch and sat at the computer to look at the latest email..... and here I am writing this.... at past four in the afternoon..... the election fever is on with poster, flags and bunting of political parties displayed on the side of the roads leading to the mall.... in a way it has added color to the usual dull and monotonous scene on the roadside... it has created an atmosphere of a pre election festival, with pomp and splendor, that only happen once in five years, during the period of a general election, ..... That is democracy in Malaysia....... the search or fishing for votes has already started although nomination day is as yet over..... Nomination day is on next Saturday, the thirteen March..... By that afternoon we would be able to know how many candidates would be taking part in this years election..... It is always interesting to watch the nomination day parade of a sort where candidate would march to the respective registration centre to register their candidate's for the election..... It is normally a colorful scene with colorful flags and banner of respective political parties..... Thousand of supporter would follow along in peace, at time chanting their party slogan.... In a way it is like the parade of the Primary in the USA.... I watch one in Boston when I was living there.....but with a difference.... Here the candidate are selected by the Party and then they would register as a candidate for the Party using the symbol of the Party..... Once accepted the party are allowed to go on campaigning for the election....... In this year election the campaigning period is just seven days, starting from nomination day and end on midnight of the twentieth March.... the next day, the twenty first of March is Polling Day.... Where the people goes to the polling station to cast their ballot paper..... Malaysian has done this for ten time already... So in a way we all are prepared to cast our vote to the Political Party that we think acceptable to become the government for the next five years..... Of course there would be the first timer.... the youth who have just registered for the election on reaching the age of twenty one..... Anyone not registered would not be allow to participate in the election and cannot vote......To make sure your name is on the registered voter list..... You can check it on the internet, just by punching your identity Card number..... Your name and the place where you could cast your vote would appear on the monitor screen.... It is as simple as that..... Come election day [ the twenty first of March ] one has just to visit the particular polling station and show one's Identity Cards.... If it matches the one in the registration list then one is allowed to cast their vote in secret at the polling station..... Normally the Polling station would close at six in the evening and the result would be know a hour later, so set glued to you TV and wait for the result.... It is indeed interesting.... to see democracy in action and the power of the people in action.... Choosing their government for the next five years..... As the day on nomination approach....the newspaper would be full of stories about the election and more and more places and streets would be decorated with elections banners, bunting and poster of candidates...... in all the color of the rainbow..... It is as though the whole country is going on a national festival of a sort..... That is the Malaysia way of doing thing as serious as the national election..... Making it look more like fun then the seriousness of an election... It is the Malaysian way..... And we all love doing it..... But when coming to casting our votes.... We are dead serious about the election and would surely cast our votes with respect and intelligent, for a wrong choice would spell doom to a country like ours..... Remember Malaysia is a Multi racial, Multi cultural, Multi religious country....... In the past election Malaysian has made a wise choice and I believe this election would bring the same result as before...... that a new mandate would be given to the Party most suitable to form the government for the next five years.... Your guess is a good as mine as to which Party would be elected and win this year election..... So let go to the Poll and vote wisely and then wait patiently for the result to be announce on TV, in the comfort of your home...... the Malaysian Way!!!!