COMMENT | Some men (and women) would like you to believe that they cannot settle down just yet, because they have not found the perfect partner. In the end, all that happens is that they age.

Similarly, if you choose to spoil your vote, or decide to abstain from voting, because you are waiting for a principled politician who will play by the rules, then you only condemn the nation to prolonged suffering.

The day someone finds the perfect politician will be the day we notice pigs flying overhead. Why not grab the bull by the horns and tell our parliamentarians what we want? They cannot read our minds. Nor can "ticking like" on Facebook be construed as interacting with your MP.

Malaysians are at a crossroads. Don't imagine for one minute that it is only the young (or the millennials), who are cynical, angry, disillusioned and frustrated. The middle-aged and the elderly are, too.

Older Malaysians have seen the disintegration of national harmony. Although many have been lifted out of poverty, the unity which bound them together at Merdeka has disintegrated. Today, Malaysians go for one another's throats. This is not the Tunku's vision.

When they were younger, the middle-aged Malaysians were told by their parents to "Keep your nose clean, focus on your studies, get a job, forget about politics." Look at where we are today.

Our apathy contributed to our current situation. Some of today's middleaged Malaysians want to repair the damage caused by their youthful inactivity.

Anwar Ibrahim's generation took part in student protest marches. They stood up for social justice. Why do you think the administration of the time, under Dr Mahathir Mohamad, curbed student activity in politics?

If Najib Abdul Razak is "not as bad" as Mahathir, why won't he disband the restrictive Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA)?

While no-one is trying to whitewash Mahathir's policies, we can see that Najib continues these affirmative action policies. The majority of bright non-Malays struggle to get scholarships unless they have a "kabel ke atas" (the right connections).

The men in Najib's cabinet, and the heads of the GLCs were junior ministers or senior civil servants during Mahathir's tenure. You may blame Mahathir, but Najib's inner circle were once Mahathir's "Yes-men".

At least Mahathir, can now, be seen to be doing something, but his former "Yes-men" only pay lip service to reform.

Even during the dark ages of Mahathir, cartoonists like Zunar were not harassed to within an inch of their lives.

The rakyat quietly register all these anomalies

Last week, the state awards given to former PAS vice-president Husam Musa, former PAS operations committee director Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah, and Mahathir, were revoked. Amazingly, the triad chiefs with criminal records, and the heads of public institutions, who stole the taxpayers' money, still enjoy their Datukships.

The rakyat notice and quietly register all these anomalies.

Many people accuse the opposition of being fragmented. The young blame them for not "listening" to their needs. Have these disenfranchised Malaysians tried to connect the political dots?

Anwar Ibrahim lost his Sodomy II appeal and was jailed. Hadi Awang denied having secret talks with Umno-Baru about a unity government and played cat-and-mouse with all the opposition parties. Why was Hadi's "Hudud Bill" forced through to the top of the parliamentary queue?

Hadi caused the disintegration of Pakatan Rakyat. He defied the dying wish of PAS' spiritual guru, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, and considered the merger of PAS and Umno-Baru.

You may blame Mahathir's ISA for silencing Malaysians, but ask yourself why Najib arms himself with the Sedition Act, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) and Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma). Malays are seldom punished for their racial and religious hate crimes. Jakim continues to wreak havoc on everyone's lives.

No Umno-Baru/BN politicians are attacked by thugs on kapcai, during ceramah sessions. Nor do they experience hooligans lighting flares as they speak.

The offices of opposition MPs are often daubed in red paint or chicken blood. Cars of Bersih officials are vandalised.

At the beck and call of Umno-Baru/BN's leaders

The instruments of the state and its resources are at the disposal of the Umno-Baru/BN politicians, who want to deliver talks, either in Malaysia or overseas. The 1.6 million strong civil service are at the beck and call of Umno-Baru/BN's leaders, to facilitate their transport, hotel bookings, makan and freebies.

The opposition must make do with the generosity of their army of volunteers.

The Umno-Baru/BN politicians on overseas talks are met at the airport and given a send-off, worthy of a Western diplomat. Everything is taken care of, and even the official's wife enjoys a retail therapy programme.

Halls are booked and students are invited to attend. Food is plentiful. A few questions, post-ceramah, may be asked, but in most cases, they will have been vetted by an aide.

Conversely, the opposition politician who goes overseas acts like a poor tourist who has scrimped and saved for the trip. On arrival, he is met by an opposition supporter and taken to a bed and breakfast. To keep costs down, the politician may stay in the house of one of his supporters.

Malaysians students are warned not to attend opposition (and Bersih) talks. Some receive e-mails warning them about breaking their scholarship "contract". The few who dare come risk being photographed by the Special Branch.

The Malaysian police state is alive and thriving in overseas locations, courtesy of the country’s high commissions and embassies.

The handicaps faced by the opposition politicians are enough to put some off the job. We are fortunate that so many continue the battle for Malaysia.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.