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It is difficult to explain to people what it feels like to be away from home. It is difficult to explain to people what the big deal is about living through what happened in Malaysia this week from abroad—why I slept at 4am just to listen to the press conference of our new PM, why I’ve refreshed all the Malaysian news sites on multiple tabs on my computer every half hour, and buried myself in any news article about home. It is difficult for me to explain but if I were to try, the answer to the question “Why?" is: my love for the people I know and believe in—Malaysians.

This week in Malaysia’s 14th general elections, I was so proud of how we crossed that first bridge we’ve been trying, failing, and trying again to cross as we stood up for who we are and what we wanted as Malaysians—a people fighting for truth, for democracy, and for our voice to be heard, even if we get silenced again and again and again. We are stubborn like that, fighting the good fight; bloodied and burnt out, we fight. We are a rakyat that kept fighting in spite of all the odds that seemed so perfectly against us. We kept fighting in spite of a seemingly rushed mid-week election date, overseas postal ballots that came a day before elections, a history of gerrymandering, vote buying, a corrupt electoral system, and incessant threats to the freedom of press and speech.

So. This is why I stay up too late for press conferences, refresh my Twitter feed too many times, and have felt extremely consumed this past week. Even though I am a million miles away, I'm right there with you in the fight, Malaysia.

And as we move forward with this new reality, emotions can still be high out of care, concern, and fear of losing what we worked so hard to attain. Nonetheless, as Malaysians, I hope to remind friends, family, and myself, in case we forget, that we are all fighting for the same thing, sometimes, from different sides. Let’s keep each other accountable. Most importantly, let us not tear each other down but build each other up.

I stand for integrity, respect, truth, humility, dialogue, and growth. As a fellow Malaysian, I choose to believe that you do too. Give credit where credit is due and acknowledge mistakes where mistakes are made. Challenge each other through dialogue with the shared goal of making Malaysia better instead of aimlessly attacking each other. Show the world the respect, love, and integrity Malaysia is made of.

This is the Malaysia I know. This is the Malaysia I believe in.

- Andrea,

https://www.facebook.com/notes/andrea-wong/being-home-away-and-still-fighting/1740666539334324/

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It is difficult to explain to people what it feels like to be away from home. It is difficult to explain to people what the big deal is about living through what happened in Malaysia this week from abroad-why I slept at 4am just to listen to the press conference of our new PM, why I've refreshed all the Malaysian news sites on multiple tabs on my computer every half hour, and buried myself in any news article about home.

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Counting Agents at SK Bestari Jaya, Kuala Selangor

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Counting Agents at SK Bestari Jaya, Kuala Selangor

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I was pleasantly surprised that we had a surplus of PACAs. Unfortunately, that meant that a number who put up their hands to volunteer for Kuala Selangor had to be turned away. I felt bad for them as I believe the experience of being a PACA is a defining moment in a Malaysian’s life. My eyes were opened and my involvement intensified after my first experience as a PACA in 2008.

The morning of May 9, I ate breakfast at home before heading out to my voting station in PJ. The lines were long but striking up a conversation with 2 others in the queue with me made the hour-long wait a pleasant experience.

Having been a PACA, I’ve been trained to look out for irregularities, and I detected none in the Saluran I was in. Although I brought my own tissue paper, I was surprised to find a box of tissues right beside the ink jar. Nevertheless, I was extra careful with the ballot paper, inspecting it before going to the cardboard screen to mark it. As I said, no issues there. I said goodbye to my “friends” and went home.

My wife was out shuttling senior citizens to and from their voting stations. So I had lunch to prepare for what’s ahead - my PACA shift at Kuala Selangor. After lunch I drove to SK Bestari Jaya. During the drive, I noticed that the Gurthrie highway waived the toll charges during the polling hours. How nice, I thought, they are truly encouraging people to vote by making it as easy for them as possible.

At SK Bestari Jaya, I met up with the other Counting Agents and discovered a few were first timers. I helped them with a mini-review and had them go over with me to consolidate their learning (I am a trainer, after all). Just before our shift started, we took the picture below. Perfect strangers. United for a single cause: a better Malaysia for all.

By Adeno Ong

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We did not leave

Or give up hope

We stayed to fight

Kept hope afloat

Against the night

And mounting odds

We cheered for change

But cried to God

We rearranged

Our calendars

We clicked for flights

Pooled passengers

Window too tight

Can’t send by drone

Plead with pilots

To bring votes home

Spring violets

Sprang up at dawn

Queued up to vote

Process long drawn

Some wore raincoats

Some umbrella

Support and shade

Just to “pangkah”

PACAs they stayed

Last line defense

Stood firm against

Some KTMs

Rakyat incensed

Came out in force

Stared down the cheats

Showed who’s the boss

It’s no small feat

The things we did

Just take a look

Marvel indeed

Now history books

Will tell the facts

The ones who lived

Their mighty acts

Poem by Adeno Ong
Dedicated to Malaysians everywhere
11/5/18

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I am so glad that I did my part in rebuilding my lovable country Malaysia. I woke up at 3.30am and travel with my husband and kids from Johor Bahru to cast my vote in Melaka and my husband in Seremban.  This is my third time voting and I had to wait in line for 2 and 1/2 hour to vote. We rushed to Seremban for my husband to cast his vote. We waited for my husband for almost 2 hours in the car.   And our effort paid off when the new Malaysia is born.

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I am so glad that I did my part in rebuilding my lovable country Malaysia. I woke up at 3.30am and travel with my husband and kids from Johor Bahru to cast my vote in Melaka and my husband in Seremban.  This is my third time voting and I had to wait in line for 2 and 1/2 hour to vote. We rushed to Seremban for my husband to cast his vote. We waited for my husband for almost 2 hours in the car.   And our effort paid off when the new Malaysia is born.

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Happy mummy and kids
Johor.

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I've enclosed the link to my (brief for Wordpress, lengthy for Padlet) thoughts on life before and after GE14.

Emily, 23

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I was a PACA in SK Sungei Way. As I saw people casting votes, my eyes kept watering and I had to quickly brush my tears away. The saluran I was observing was Saluran 2, and the people were my parents' and mother-in-law's age. Interestingly enough, you can separate the working professionals who have made it from the workers who have had a harder life if you base it by the way they carry themselves. This cuts across all races and ethnic groups. But in everyone, I either saw resolution or resignation as each cast their vote. Some were decisive as they put their papers in the boxes. Some took forever. They must have been scared. They lived through May 13. Either way, no matter the outcome of the election, they were leaving themselves open to a completely new future, and at a more advanced stage in their lives too. I'm glad of the outcome of GE14, but I hope Malaysians all work together regardless of the fault lines of our identities

Farihah, 29, KL

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My feelings at 9 May 2018 just before polling closes: "Less than an hour to go till voting closes.  Unlike during GE13, I try to keep my feelings neutral. I read up posts from both sides. And truth is I do get confused and doubt my choice. Let's face it.  It's such an irony that the two main opposition leaders today were once the two top men in the incumbent party. It's crazy...I know. It seems we may be voting for the godfather of dirty politics. How ridiculous!Unfortunately, the country may be ready for a charge but not that huge a change yet. Having these ex-leaders may be what is needed to ease the transition. Once I step back from all the slandering posts, I remind myself.. I'm not voting for Pakatan Harapan. I'm not voting for Tun M. I am voting for a balance of power within this country. I'm voting against race based political parties. If Corporates have mandatory leave policies and cooling period policies to reduce fraud risk and maintain independence...why a country shouldn't have the same? The last few days, I kept tearing up thinking the fate of my beloved country, but come what may, it is still amazing to see Malaysians striving to improve this beloved land...our kampung.PS: Thor: Ragnarok. Thor had to revive Surtur and fulfill the Ragnarok prophecy to stop Hela from causing more deaths and destruction. Bold move. And I hope my country decide the same today. #GE14#inikalila#BarisanNasional#PakatanHarapan"

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My feelings at 9 May 2018 just before polling closes: "Less than an hour to go till voting closes.  Unlike during GE13, I try to keep my feelings neutral. I read up posts from both sides. And truth is I do get confused and doubt my choice. Let's face it.  It's such an irony that the two main opposition leaders today were once the two top men in the incumbent party. It's crazy...I know. It seems we may be voting for the godfather of dirty politics. How ridiculous!Unfortunately, the country may be ready for a charge but not that huge a change yet. Having these ex-leaders may be what is needed to ease the transition. Once I step back from all the slandering posts, I remind myself.. I'm not voting for Pakatan Harapan. I'm not voting for Tun M. I am voting for a balance of power within this country. I'm voting against race based political parties. If Corporates have mandatory leave policies and cooling period policies to reduce fraud risk and maintain independence...why a country shouldn't have the same? The last few days, I kept tearing up thinking the fate of my beloved country, but come what may, it is still amazing to see Malaysians striving to improve this beloved land...our kampung.PS: Thor: Ragnarok. Thor had to revive Surtur and fulfill the Ragnarok prophecy to stop Hela from causing more deaths and destruction. Bold move. And I hope my country decide the same today. #GE14#inikalila#BarisanNasional#PakatanHarapan"

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I was pretty sure I was not coming home for election due to financial constraint. Until last Sunday, I found colleagues travelin

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I have always been sceptical

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I am still unsure about the change we all hope to see happen. A lot of people are swept up into the moment by the emotions, the tension, and drama. But how many would actually continue following the progress of our new government after the hype has died down? I hope the people of Malaysia see GE14 as an exciting start and not a happy ending
(Candee)

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This change makes me want to work for the new government. I am thinking about going into politics.. Just wondering if I am good enough to be in that position of power and contribute to Malaysia <3 (Candee)

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it was my first time voting and let me tell you, i am pretty sure that this has inspired all unregistered voters, uninterested millennials to pay attention to the world of politics, rights and law. i must say, i was INFURIATED when my peers joked about not being able to make a change or that they felt indifferent about the mess that these old folks often create in the political arena. perhaps now is the time where one starts to believe in the power of voting and personal responsibility. selamat merdeka 2.0, malaysia. (Phavanjit Kaur)

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I thought Barisan would win by a slim majority. I scoffed at Invoke's wild prediction about GE14. I was so wrong. I never thought I'll see change in my lifetime. But now I have hope for Malaysia. Mahathir's indomitable will to bring about this stunning victory has taught me this - never give up. (Ashvinder)

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I thought Barisan would win by a slim majority. I scoffed at Invoke's wild prediction about GE14. I was so wrong. I never thought I'll see change in my lifetime. But now I have hope for Malaysia. Mahathir's indomitable will to bring about this stunning victory has taught me this - never give up. (Ashvinder)