LETTER | As we race towards the ballot box in the next few days, many still grapple with the question of whether to vote for the party or candidate.

This conundrum came about because we are witnessing in this election perceived quality candidates from parties that are tainted with legacy issues while certain parties are risking it by fielding relative unknowns in their bid to appear “fresh” to the incoming new voters.

Given Malaysia’s political reality, I would like to make the argument that we cannot avoid but vote for the party or coalition that best aligns with what we imagine for the future of Malaysia.

I would like to start by stating the obvious, which is that our electoral system is based on single-member district plurality or first-past-the-post.

When we go to vote this Saturday, we are directly voting for a candidate.

Instead of a party list such as in the multi-member proportional representation system, we see our candidates’ names and party logos on the ballot paper, and we are expected to put a mark next to the name of our chosen candidate.

But make no mistake. In Malaysia, one vote equals three votes: the trinity of candidate, party, and prime minister.

However, the election candidates in Malaysia are really a proxy for the party they represent. As much as we would like to ideally believe our wakil rakyat are capable of voting in Parliament according to their conscience, at the end of the day these are party women and men.

In Parliament, they would vote according to the wishes of the party leaders or else face a penalty, or worse, become a political pariah.

Therefore, when we are choosing our wakil rakyat, we need to think not of their individual voices, however great they may be, but of the shared vision their party represents.

Party is superior to candidate

Alas, Parliament is where national policies are debated and created, and our wakil rakyat are the ones actually responsible for this – not attending to local matters such as fixing potholes and the drainage system.

Our vote for a specific candidate is really a vote for the party that will bring our ideas for a better Malaysia to come to fruition collectively as a government.

If we believe that the candidates are more important than the party, why did we as a nation work so hard to pass the anti-party hopping law before commencing GE15?

Because our voters want certainty that the candidates chosen will continue to represent their party for the full term. As a nation, we have unconsciously agreed that the party is superior to the candidate.

Does it mean that parties have free rein to put forth questionable candidates just because the people will vote according to party lines? This is where I see the problem.

Because parties are not accountable to the people, their leaders are the ones deciding who gets the party’s support to stand as an electoral candidate.

There is neither transparency nor democracy in terms of the nomination process of candidates, and this is how voters today are stuck with this dilemma of choosing a party they support or a credible candidate from the opposing side.

Like most institutions in Malaysia, political parties are quite centralised with little true autonomy for local branches. Grassroots’ wants and demands are easily overridden by the central committee.

If we want a more democratic Malaysia, led by democratic leaders, perhaps it is time for them to walk the talk.

Primaries and caucuses are some examples of what political parties can introduce so that party members can vote for their candidate of choice. This way, the people have more say beyond just voting on election day.

Will this idea gain traction? I doubt it as it would be costly, and Malaysians may not be ready to vote on multiple occasions. Getting them to vote once every five years is challenging enough.

But we can dream, and perhaps plan ahead for a more democratic Malaysia in which we shall no longer have to choose between a candidate or a party because the candidate from the party of our choice would have already received the support and approval of party members.

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