This letter is in reaction to Penang Yeoh's opinion that we should stop voting for the lack of options.

If everyone thinks like Yeoh does, then Barisan Nasional and Penang Chief Minister Koh Tsu Koon will always be in power in Penang and it will stay like it is now.

While the opposition might not win, we also do not want BN to win by a ridiculous and overwhelming margin. We also do not want them to win by default just because some selfish person decided that by not voting, this is the best contribution to society. BN parties should work hard for our votes.

While the opposition is, rightly said, quite pathetic, citizens still need to start voting for a stronger and bigger opposition so that there is a check-and-balance in government.

New parties can emerge if DAP, Keadilan and PAS are not seen as up to mark, but o­nly if there is expectation that voters are willing to support an opposition party.

If we had voted to oust Koh and BN earlier, we might not have this problem with the Penang Outer Ring Road (or other stupid projects in Penang). Frankly, Penangites do not approve of it because we all know that it is a veil to cover up for our unsolvable traffic problems.

It is o­nly at the coming elections that we can hope to make a difference. We can make Koh leave office since he does not do much except to attend functions and open this and that event. Maybe after he leaves, we can dream of getting a better traffic solution other than diverting traffic from Greenlane to Batu Lanchang. We can prevent another 'solution' like the elevated road project running from Batu Uban to Bayan Baru, or another Autopont (single-lane) flyover at Jalan Masjid Negara.

If Yeoh and other Penangites will recall, many had protested against these projects but yet they went ahead. If Koh and his cohorts were not in power, this might not have happened. Voting can make a difference. Why forgo your constitutional right to make a change?

Doing myopic things like double parking and littering will o­nly compound our already dire conditions in Penang and make it more unlivable. As it is, Penang is already dirty and you can find rubbish everywhere because there are so many people who litter like Yeoh.

On most days, the traffic is so bad because a lot of self-serving people (and lousy planners) have total disregard for other road users. Why do you want to dirty your own home or cause traffic problems for yourself and others?

It perplexes me that people can be so socially ill, that they can do such a thing to a place that they call home. Instead of contributing to the problem, Yeoh should stop whining about the pathetic state of government and opposition and go make a difference. Even if you do not succeed in turning the tide, at least the effort is there.