After a couple of exhilarating years of campaigning with opinion polls from various pollster indicating a race too close to call between Yes and No (particularly due to the surge of support for Yes) as the polling day edged closer, 4,283,392 Scots in Scotland (which forms 91% of people eligible to register as voter, an unprecedented rate of registration.) head to the poll on Thursday (18 September) to cast their vote on the question "Should Scotland be an independent country?", with all the hopes, promises and concessions from both the leaders of YesScotland and BetterTogether on their mind.
Today on Friday (19 September) as the results are tallied across 32 council area in Scotland, the majority of Scots has made their decision heard. With a decisive 55.3% of the electorate voted No against 44.7% that voted Yes, Scotland remains in union with United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The 307 years long union remains and poised to be so for a least "a generation".
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| Despite decisive Yes victory in Glasgow, the most populated council area in Scotland as well as Dundee, another major urban centre, it is still not enough to stem the growing leading margin between the Yes and No vote and in the end, the Yes camp only managed to secure victory in four council areas (with the biggest upset at Inverclyde losing only 0.1% of the vote) while the rest are clinched by the No camp particularly at Edinburgh, the second largest urban centre in Scotland. The final voting share seems to be consistent with the pollsters' prediction in the running up of the election. |
The outcome of the Scottish #indyref on the first glance seems to be disappointing or even upsetting not just for Scottish nationalists in Scotland but also for all the other sovereignty movements both established or nascent across the globe who are inspired how organised and upbeat the YesScotland campaign has been. However, this is not the end just yet as paraphrasing Nicola Sturgeon (Deputy First Minister of Scotland/SNP/YesScotland), the outcome of the vote is not in anyway an acceptance of status quo with Scots regardless of Yes or No has made their voices to heard by the Westminster in London, and Scotland has definitely changed forever regardless of the outcome. With the unprecedented level of civic engagement, discussion, debate and awareness across all level of society (especially to the youth usually disenchanted by politic with special attention to the 16 years old and above being extended right to vote for the first time.), perhaps this will be the start for the greater wave of political reform across United Kingdom. From this point onward, Scotland will make sure that the Westminster in London to be accountable of all the promises and concession made during the campaign, working closely with all parties in both Yes and No camp on issues particularly of devolving more legislative power to Holyrood. The rest of UK like Wales, Northern Ireland and all regions within England too can expect more power to devolved to local government of all levels paving the way for United Kingdom to embrace a federal structure.
From the perspective of a Sarawak regionalist/sovereigntist, Scottish Independence Referendum has shown to the world that it is perfectly possible to achieve regional autonomy/sovereignty through mutual respect and understanding, diplomacy and most importantly, democratically through ballot box, a reflection of people's will and sense of honour. Independence/sovereignty need not to be arise only after from ash heap of war and toil, from military struggle and weapon, from oppression and reprisal. Let the people decide to ballot box.
However with the latest series of intimidation and threats issued by the Home Ministry and Police against what they paint as "secessionist" claiming the idea of secession is seditious, it seems it's going to be an arduous journey ahead for the Sarawak and Sabah sovereignty movements in Malaysia, current still in its infancy and support level remains latent before the idea is even able to gain traction. Will there be a fairer Federation of Malaysia in the future that might actually facilitate the condition leading to referendum similar to what is going in Scotland? Only time will tell and may awareness spread.
~Dum Spiro, Spero - While I breath, I hope - Haraplah Selagi Bernafas~
Afterword: Speaking of complex decision...
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| I have been summoned/pleaded by my mom to go home to help the family at least for a month plus or so while waiting for my Viva Voce to happen. My gut has vaguely anticipated that it will eventually come to this conundrum when Tate relayed mom's message when I went down to KL for paternal family gathering at the beginning of September. Still, receiving mom's direct phone call with this plea/summon still caught me by surprise and upsetting enough to cause me tears up and sniffle for a few minute, probably from a combination of guilt and fear. Nonetheless, another week has passed and by the time the second call came by, this time to book the flight ticket back home, I've already spent enough time rationalizing and largely resigned to fate, with the consolation being that it's just a temporary arrangement and I will be back for my Viva Voce in due time anyway. As for duty at home...while I have no problem with sending and picking Sebastian from school doubling as catching up with whatever change that happened in Kuching, the change of home dynamic due to the opening of backyard kopitiam changed the dynamic of what I consider as home so much that I feel more weary and jittery than being homely. But I am not in any position to dispute or change it anyway... |
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