KOTA KINABALU, Oct 16 — The unprecedented change of government in the 14th general election and resulting reforms have clearly demonstrated the power of the ballot, several political leaders said.

Urging voters not to lose faith in elections despite the political chicanery of the past two years, Sabah DAP leader Chan Foong Hin pointed out that the result of GE14 had been unthinkable right until it was announced in 2018.

"When I joined politics back in 2007, I just wanted to end the one-party hegemonic regime, and more than a decade later, we Malaysians managed to change the one party who had been ruling us for 60 years.

"That is democracy and Malaysia's democracy continues to deserve better,” he said.

Aside from ending over six decades of Barisan Nasional rule, he said other clear developments from GE14 included historic reforms such as Undi18 that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, the effect of which would also be seen in this general election.

He further said voters who chose a new government in 2018 should know their ballots were crucial in allowing authorities to finally prosecute the 1MDB corruption scandal, which resulted in the unprecedented conviction of a former prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Najib is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence after the Federal Court upheld his conviction of all charges in the case of SRC International, a former 1MDB unit. He is also on trial in four other cases related to the global corruption scandal.

Such events would have been unthinkable had there not been a change in government, Chan added.

The incumbent Kota Kinabalu MP conceded that the collapse of the PH government due to the "Sheraton Move” in 2020 appeared to be "one step forward and two steps back”, and said he understood why some voters may have lost faith in the country’s elections.

"However, the passing of the anti-hopping law — which was also in part helped by the PH government — means that politicians can't simply do what they want from now on. There won’t be a repeat of events like before,” he said.

To those feeling apathetic about elections, he urged them to realise that politicians who end up being elected would decide policies that could affect their lives every day, whether they voted for them or not.

"They can’t run away from politics. For example, if the Parliament had not been dissolved, MPs were going to decide that those born after 2007 are to be banned from smoking.

"You cannot let those you do not trust decide your destiny,” he said.

Incumbent Subang MP Wong Chen said voters need only look back to the events of GE14 if they needed a reminder of the power and importance of their ballot.

The PKR lawmaker said GE14 has given Malaysia a lasting legacy — arming voters with the knowledge that they could vote out a government if they were not happy with its performance.

Rather than only feeling powerless due to the machinations of politicians, Wong urged Malaysians to remember what they could achieve when they came out to vote in numbers as they did in 2018.

"The power to change is truly in your hands,” he said.

As for PKR specifically, he said the return of former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli as the party’s deputy president has renewed hope among some sections, and expressed hope that this effect would spread to the larger public.

Wong argued that the "Sheraton Move” could also be viewed as a positive for PH and its supporters, removing elements that distracted from the coalition’s core objectives.

"Without Bersatu and Dr Mahathir's Pejuang, PH is now back to its original roots to bring reforms and better governance to Malaysia. We survived the Sheraton Move, we remained loyal and committed to the reform agenda, and as a result we are more cohesive and united than ever.

"We are asking the voters to continue to support our reformist agenda, to fight corruption, to enhance democracy and bring back economic prosperity ruined by crony capitalism,” he said.

In Sabah, where fledgling party Warisan won eight out of the 16 seats it contested in 2018 and formed the state government with its PH partners, vice president Datuk Junz Wong said that the party has differentiated itself from the "bad apple” choices.

"We have remained consistent in our struggle, which is to bring about real change for Malaysia, from a suppressive corrupted system to an inclusive multiracial progressive system which transcends beyond racial and religious barriers.

"We know that there are many who are disappointed and fed up with the choice between two bad apples, so we are providing a third apple as an alternative now,” he said.

He said Warisan was consistent in fighting for the state’s interests, including setting up three ministries — native affairs, health and education — in anticipation of more autonomy from the federal government.

It also increased job opportunities for Sabahans by encouraging the establishment of three local factories producing cooking oil, and hundreds of thousands of hectares of land to the natives to start their own business, he said.

"If we stay focused, Sabah can be the kingmaker to determine who forms the next federal government again. So, stay focused, seize this golden opportunity and let us decide our own destiny and let us decide the future of Putrajaya, don’t let them continue to control our future,” he said.

Parliament was dissolved on October 10 and the Election Commission will meet on October 20 to set the key dates for the resultant GE15.