Election '08 - A finale

Let me reiterate one thing here - this is not a political blog and it will not be one. I am just recording election '08 as a personal reflection as the theme of the blog would allow it.

As a finale, I would like to record a couple of issues during this election.

The kids and I had a big flag during our journey to and from Kuala Lumpur. To be honest, I am glad we did it. Along the way from Dungun to KL, we had over 38 cars giving us the wave, or the slight high beam or the honk. It is nothing compared to the thousand of cars that we had passed by, but significant enough to be mentioned.

These were typical scenes during the journey.

If we were to pass by cars with BN flags - and they are many I must say, I would not even bat an eye lid. I would simply ignore them. To me it is done in the spirit of the election - opposition or otherwise.

Until I had a chat with a relative upon returning from KL today - he is an UMNO party member and have business dealings with UMNO. Upon knowing I had a flag on my car, he asked me if my car has been fully paid. I said no and asked him why. "Be prepared that by Monday, you would be asked to pay back all your loans in total," he warned me. "How would they know? The SB would have recorded my car's number," he explained.

When I told him that mine is P***'s, he changed his statement a bit and said if my loan is with P**** Bank, may be I'll be ok, but C*** certainly would have revoked my loans.

I believe him. He has no reason to lie to me as a relative, and Muslim and a lawyer. More importantly he is on the other side of the divide, and a reasonably prominent one I would say.

And I had enjoyed our conversation the past week or so.

Well, if so, what can I say? This is a police state?

But any bank for that matter would have difficulty finding a commercial reason to do that - I have been a good customer. But I guess in a police state, they need no commercial reason.

I would have to say that the trip back and forth was typically good natured. Until we reached MRR2, with the massive traffic jam. Fortunately the jam was on the opposite direction!

On another note, I would like to record too, that upon reaching the flyover above the "Makro" roundabout, a motorbike overtook us on the left and slowed down, while doing a zig-zag in front of our car in the middle lane of MRR2.

He has no business overtaking me on the left, so close to my car and then slowing down while doing a 'jig' right in front of a moving car. If he was to fell, I might not have enough time to stop and I might have run him down.

Out of the blue and for nothing, I must say. He was wearing a BN white t-shirt and had his face covered up. The first two digits of his number plates was also covered with - of all - a KeAdilan sticker.

Why is his plate covered with a KeAdilan sticker? Is he trying to be mischevious? Definitely this is a no no. But the fact he is wearing a BN tshirt but a KeAdilan sticker covering his number plate, and trying to provoke a car in the middle lane with a PAS flag, it is all too fishy.

Close up of his number plate. See the KeAdilan sticker conveniently covering his number plate?

As far as I am concerned, he was a provocateur extreme. I have heard of this type of person many times and this is my first encounter first hand - just because I was carrying the flag for an opposition party. I managed to overtake him, record him, and upon realizing that he was being captured on camera, he sped up and showed us the finger.

His face is all covered up. But he didn't cover the front plate. After he passed up by the second time (we managed to overtake him after he slowed down on the left lane), and upon realizing that he was being recorded, he showed us the finger (which unfortunately was not recorded by my damn slow Olympus! )

Enuff of the election - irrespective of who would win tonight. I have done my part. The rest I leave it to God.

EPILOGUE

The lawyer relative of mine called last nite to inform me that he was only joking when he said that my number would have been recorded by SB when I flew the flag while driving around during election day. I will take that remark in good faith and at face value - that it was just a joke on his side.