He said those disenchanted with the country’s political situation should not cast their votes based on whether they would be picking Najib Razak or Dr Mahathir Mohamad for prime minister.
Instead, he said, they should look at the candidates running for Parliament and state seats.
“Listen to what each of them has to say, and make a decision based on the candidates, not as a proxy vote for who will rule Malaysia.
“Not voting or boycotting, or spoiling your votes, are all part and parcel of democracy. You have the right to do what you want.
“But to say that you want to boycott because there are no real choices given to you does not hold water. There are so many choices, so many layers to those choices and so many strategies that you use with the choices that you can make, which ultimately means that not voting should be the last viable choice,” he said on his Facebook page today.
Syahredzan was responding to reports that youths disillusioned by the country’s politics intended to boycott the 14th general election (GE14).
The report led to former chief of electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 Ambiga Sreenevasan, who is also a prominent lawyer, pleading for a rethink and to “do it for the sake of those who are voting for a change”.
Syahredzan also said those unhappy with the choices offered could vote for BN or PH at the state level and pick another party for parliament.
“You do not like Najib or Mahathir? Pepsi Cola choices, you say?
“Fine, don’t choose BN or PH then. Choose PSM or PAS or some independent candidate. Parliament has not been dissolved, how can you know who will be standing at where you will vote?
“So you do not want any vote that you cast for PH or BN to be a proxy vote for Najib or Mahathir? Then vote some other party for federal, and you can still choose either PH or BN at the state level.
“Najib and Mahathir are not menteri besar or chief minister candidates for your state,” he said.
Syahredzan said the legislative process was important to make institutional reforms or change laws.
“If you want to fix a broken or rotten system, it must be by way of the legislative process. It must be through Parliament.
“Our system is a representative democracy. You want a more direct democracy? You have to change the system. How to change the system? Through the legislative process.
“So, if we do not care about who represents us in the legislative process, then how do we even begin to fix what is wrong in this country?
“If we boycott the elections and we are represented by someone who cares not about what you stand for, how can we do anything about laws and institutions?”