so does a new era begin?

After watching the election process start its roll from 8pm last night until the wee hours of 3am in the morning. It was more exciting than watching a football match ;)

Namely because this election is said to be one of the biggest political upsets the ruling coalition has ever faced. For example, BN lost its stronghold in Penang to the Opposition; incumbent Samy Velu lost his seat for the very first time [on his birthday]; Selangor is unofficially Opposition ground; Chew Mei Fun lost to Tony Pua; Teresa Kok claimed her two seats. Not to mention the opposition gaining state control over several states in the nation like Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Kelantan.

The government has been denied a two-third majority as it had planned to capture. Instead, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has to settle for a simple majority. Meaning that now we will see the likes of fiery and peppery Opposition leaders really stake a claim and create a tide of change in the parliament as the country continues to grow until the next election. Anwar Ibrahim is set to take up politics with a feather in his cap because his party apparently has secured the most majority in parliament for the opposition followed closely by DAP. So Anwar and Kit Siang should be grinning like Chesire cats now.

The question now lies:

Will this change things in the country for better OR for worse?

Having a sizeable opposition compared to the previous term could mean that policies made from hereon could be rational and more tempered. Without a two-third majority, the new government would need to work more to convince the opposition and citizens backing the opposition that their choices are worth trusting. The recent happenings of corruption, scandals, ethnic issues... have not reflected well on Abdullah's administration... perhaps that is why there was such an upset in the votes last night.

Nevertheless, it's my hope that the new government would now look into mending the leaky areas in our country. Hopefully the Opposition doesn't just exist there to criticise, to oppose and point fingers. The one thing I hope to see is more turn padang [coming down to meet the people] on all sides of the fence. The Opposition serves to exist as a check and balance for the government and it is my sincerest hope that they serve their term well and not make an idiot of themselves in the parliament. Please don't waste the votes that were given to you :)

Where did I cast my vote to, you say? Hmm... ask me in person :p