KUCHING, Nov 13: With the 15th General Election (GE15) approaching in a matter of days, many Malaysians may be pondering the performance of the nation’s Members of Parliament (MPs) in their respective constituencies.
The internet is a wealth of information about our MPs, and not knowing anything about politics or the members who fill up the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat can be risky, as an uninformed voter can affect our nation’s future.
However, fret not. DayakDaily recently came across a Malaysian website that tracks Malaysian MPs as 8-bit characters with stats and attributes, sort of like parliamentary ‘report cards’ of our politicians, in an effort to inspire you to be a more well-informed and knowledgeable voter.
If you grew up playing the Super Mario Bros games, MyMP would undoubtedly amuse you, just as it did DayakDaily.
Choose your character! Each MP is represented by a zany and, dare we say, accurately depicted digital 8-bit character, accompanied by a list of their current stats and attributes, ranging from 0 to 10, which reflects the MP’s:
• Availability: How easy or difficult is it to contact them via social media and other channels
• Loyalty: How often or infrequently the MP switches allegiances and constituencies
• Work Ethic: Based on MP attendance in Parliament, how much they participate during proceedings and participation in parliamentary committees
• Transparency: How forthcoming the MP is with their finances in terms of declaring assets
• Win Rate: How likely it is that the MP will retain or win a seat in Parliament
Furthermore, as a fun bonus feature that will undoubtedly make you laugh, the MPs are given identifying trophies or ‘badges’ such as:
• ‘Katak’ badge: Earned for having jumped political parties or coalitions
• ‘Langgar SOP’ badge: Earned by violating Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• ‘Disiasat’ badge: Indicating that an MP was under investigation for something
• ‘Kena Covid’ badge: MPs that were infected with Covid-19
The website also includes information about the constituencies and political parties that the MPs represent, as well as their biography, which provides for personal, educational, and professional information.
Lau Chak Onn, the project lead, founded MyMP, assisted by project supervisors Seah Eu Hen and Mazni Ibrahim.
According to MyMP’s creators, the online tool provides voters with an open, non-partisan, and entertaining way of keeping track of who they vote into power.
Meanwhile, the website’s 8-bit characters were created by Malaysian artist Ivan Yee, and the entire project is funded by grants from the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR).
The information on MyMP is believed to have come from research and observations conducted by a team of volunteers from MCCHR, Sinar Project, and Undi1. They combed through online sources and public records such as CTOS statements and official Parliament Hansard transcripts.
Due to the fact that volunteers primarily maintain MyMPs, the website may not always be up-to-date. This website can serve as a reference for voters. — DayakDaily
