Ayer Kuning by-election: Elderly couple take bus from KL to vote
Chai Ko Chong, 85, and his wife, Loy Mooi Ying, 82, said they felt compelled to carry out their responsibility to vote for a representative in the state constituency.
AISYAH BASARUDDIN
TAPAH – An elderly couple caught the public’s attention when they turned up to vote at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Pheng Lok polling centre for the seventh time in conjunction with the Ayer Kuning by-election.
Chai Ko Chong, 85, and his wife, Loy Mooi Ying, 82, said they felt compelled to carry out their responsibility to vote for a representative in the state constituency.
“My wife and I are not working and live with our children in Kuala Lumpur. But since they couldn’t come back due to work, we decided to return to the village by bus to cast our votes.
"If we, as senior citizens, can still come out to vote, hopefully young people will too," he said.
He said they lived nearby, so they got ready as early as 7am and rode a motorcycle to the polling centre.
Meanwhile, private sector worker R. Latha, 49, was among the earliest voters to cast her ballot at the school.
She and her friend, K. Khavitha, 47, got ready as early as 6am and left home to fulfil their civic duty before heading to work.
"This is our second time voting and we’re really excited.
"If the elected representative wins, I want to see whether they can push for improvements in education. The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results just came out and many school-leavers still struggle to find jobs.
"I hope more local youths can secure government jobs. There's also the issue of expensive housing — hopefully, prices can be brought down," she added.
The Ayer Kuning by-election was called following an unexpected vacancy after its incumbent, Ishsam Shahruddin, 59, passed away from a heart attack on Feb 22.
In the 15th General Election, the late Ishsam, representing Barisan Nasional (BN), won the five-way contest with a majority of 2,213 votes.
The by-election involves 31,281 registered voters and sees a three-way fight between BN candidate Mohamad Bakir, Perikatan Nasional candidate Abd Muhaimin Malek and Bawani KS of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
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