Do you hear the people sing?* - Cast of Les Miserables

I woke up a few times. Couldn't really sleep well. perhaps it was anxiety. Perhaps it was the excitement. I'm sure there was some sadness too. It's probably a combination of all three.

Anyways, i wanted to get up early and go before everyone else.By the time i got there, a steady queue has been formed - and it was growing by the second!!!

By the time 8 o'clock struck, i couldn't see where the line ended. It just went on and on and rounded a corner at the bottom of the street. I was glad that they opened the gates on the dot. Having said that, there was another round of waiting when we got it. We were herded and amde to stand in line following our allocated stream. It was like school assembly all over again! When we finally were called to go to the classrooms, we had to wait while tehy verified (paintakingly) the details of each voter before allowing them to do their thing! But it was all over. 

As i walked me mom out of the school and back to her house, the crowd was in full strength! It felt good. Really. Even from the start of my wait, i was touched by the fact that people took it so seriously that they actually decided to wake up early on a Sunday morning and queue up. Spirits were high and stangers chat with each other, their main common ground is that we are all Malaysians and we all want to play our part. When they called for senior citizens to move up ahead of the queue, one could see so many of them - some with the aid of walking sticks, most who should have been in bed instead of being out in the humidity - actually wanting to vote. Surely not for themselves (only). They are doing it - I'm sure - for their children and their grandchildren. I saw a frail old man being wheeled on a wheelchair. I heard later how this mentally challenged young man with a paralysed right hand still wanted to go and make his mark, literally. 

Truth be told, i felt a little down in recent days - partly due to the fact that some people have decided not to vote. Some of them are even proud about it, some amking a joke of the whole thing. I felt sad. I felt sadder when others commend these people. 

But today, i can see that these are in the minority.For today, I saw my fellow citizens coming out together on huge numbers and in one voice, from all ages, of all backgrounds, a lot are physically challenged, braving the heat and uncomfortableness, sacrificing their time and more, going to cast their vote. I do not know who they have voted for but I am proud to be one of them today who got our nails blue (tho for some, not for long) and who fulfilled our duty to our beloved country.

You could almost hear them singing together that we are Malaysians and we want to have a say in the democratic process of our nation. We are singing a song that tells others that we care. 

*This song was chosen to be the closing song for the movie version released recently.