But for all the fanfare since nomination day, with ceramahs and constant back-and-forths between party leaders and candidates, there is a distinct lack of excitement in the air concerning GE15.
There was a clear buzz among most Malaysians to go out and vote in May 2018, whether it was due to outrage over the 1MDB scandal, disgruntlement with the goods and services tax (GST), or even to ensure Barisan Nasional (BN) stayed in Putrajaya.
The nightly Pakatan Harapan (PH) ceramahs, some with former Umno leaders giving speeches, saw thousands gathering, with many feeling an electricity in the air stirring them to vote, even for the first time for some middle-aged Malaysians.
This time around, there is almost a lethargy in the air when it comes to the election.
While folk in urban areas might be buzzing a bit more, it still falls short compared with 2018 as the routine of daily life takes precedence, more so in rural parts of the nation where Malaysians are harder-pressed.
The lack of election buzz was clear, for instance, in Kampung Matang Pasir in Matang, Perak, last Saturday as the area had been hit by one of the worst floods in decades. People were busy cleaning their homes.
“If it floods again, we won’t be in any mood to vote,” one of the victims, Rozaida Osman, told FMT.
Floods have also hit localities such as Klang and Shah Alam in the past week. This could either dampen their spirits or fire them up to exercise their democratic right.
Fears of a low voter turnout continue to be a concern for the opposition, which is banking on Malaysians to come out in droves in order to kick out BN and help PH reclaim Putrajaya.
Some voters in Sabah, Johor, Melaka and Sarawak feel fatigued about voting again, having already gone to the polls not too long ago for their respective state elections. The voter turnout was already low in the Johor, Melaka and Sarawak state polls.
Diana Dennis, 40, admitted to feeling discouraged about voting considering all the party-hopping the nation had seen. Even in Keningau, Sabah, where she votes, there seems to be a sombre mood.
“I feel like there is no mood among the people to go out and vote because of how the government changes hands to the parties that lost. It’s almost meaningless to spend our time to vote.”
In Johor, a trader in Muar who wanted to be known only as Ujang said the general election was a bit of a mess this time around, with so many candidates contesting and straight fights a rarity.
Ujang, 34, was also dissatisfied with the same old faces vying for the prime minister’s post, lamenting how there were no new faces.
“I don’t feel like voting, but, as a Malaysian, I have to carry out my responsibility,” he said.
That sentiment seemed to be shared by others in Bagan Datuk and Bukit Gantang in Perak, as well as Alor Setar, Kedah, with several voters saying they would cast their ballots, but only because they felt obligated to.
The mood shifts slightly in urban areas, where more voters can be found raring to vote. Ceramahs continue to draw a fair share of the crowd, but the fact remains that it’s not like 2018.
Even then, ceramahs seem to be preaching to the choir as they draw supporters rather than fence-sitters, a target group that every coalition has said it wants to win over.
A 60-year-old retiree in Bangsar, who wanted to be known simply as SY, said although she felt positive about GE15, some of her friends felt “hopeless” about politics after the Sheraton Move in February 2020.
“I think people are aware that we need to be very careful about who we vote for,” she said, adding that this time around, she would focus more on the party than the candidate.
With that said, there is certainly more buzz for the polls on the internet – from community Whatsapp groups, online forums, and the various social media platforms available, including TikTok.
This could very well influence how youths cast their ballots at the polls, with this group of voters seemingly more engaged on social media than campaign activities like ceramahs and walkabouts.
Analysts have said these young voters could have a huge say on who takes Putrajaya in GE15, thanks to the implementation of Undi18 and automatic voter registration. But whether they go out to cast their ballots remains to be seen.
Hariz Azahar, a 21-year-old student from Kulai, Johor, said he was very excited to vote for the first time, but noted that this enthusiasm was not shared by many of his peers.
“I’m actually quite sad that some of my friends aren’t as excited as I am but there isn’t much I can do about it,” he said. “Hopefully, they’ll go and vote on polling day.”
With one week left until polling day, all parties and candidates are expected to take their campaigns up another level, but it remains to be seen if Malaysians will keep pace.