LETTER | Yesterday, I watched with anticipation the proceedings going on in Parliament and of those outside the gates.

The time difference made it rather difficult, but I had one tab on my office computer open on Malaysiakini which I was refreshing every 10 minutes or so. Not something I should be doing while at work, but this was an important day in the history of our nation.

Then the expected news broke. Parliament had passed the highly controversial Election Commission redelineation bill. Something so significant, it will change the course of the future of our nation for years to come.

Yet, a very small percentage of my connections at home in Malaysia could seem to care less or were even aware of this significant event that would impact us for generations to come.

For some time now, it has bugged me that many young, educated, affluent Malaysians choose to not engage in the state of affairs of our nation.

We often blame the state of Malaysia today on those in the “kampung” - the people who we believe live in villages, disengaged and unaware of what is actually going on, and proceed to vote for a corrupt regime year after year.

Yet, why do we even go so far as to bring them up when there are those of us who can understand, who are in a position to influence others around us, yet choose to willfully remain ignorant of the dire situation we are in?

What will it take for these Malaysians to open their eyes, make an effort to understand, communicate and spread the message of the change that is needed for our country?

Has your constituency been affected by the new electoral boundaries?

I am reminded of two videos I watched years ago, one of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman and another of the late Lee Kuan Yew.

Mr Lee, after the separation of Malaysia and Singapore, tearfully tells of his vision of a united country connected together with a kinship that would bind us for life. His heart breaks for a Malaysia that will never be.

The other is of the Tunku pleading to Malaysians to not let those in power today to remain in power unquestioned and unopposed.

If you have not watched these two clips, I highly recommend you do so.  I hope, like me, you can feel the earnestness and genuineness of these two great leaders in doing all they could to create a Malaysia that we, 60 years later, have still yet to see.

Malaysia’s most pressing hour is upon her, and she needs our help.

It will take every single one of us to make a change in this general election for a Malaysia that has a hope and bright future. And, if we don’t wake up, get up and step out, it is our children who will be the victims of our lackadaisical attitude towards the state of affairs of today.   

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