NIBONG TEBAL – Young voters in the Sg Bakap constituency here have been urged to carry out their civic duties for the sake of their future in the constituency and the country.
As of 10am, voter turnout was 16.7%, according to the Election Commission.
There are 39,279 registered voters in Sg Bakap, comprising 39,222 regular voters and 57 police personnel.
Of the total number of voters, 9,598 are aged between 21 and 29, while 3,134 are aged between 18 and 20.
An older voter, Heng Siew Cheng, 67, of Taman Seruling Emas here, said young voters should cast their ballots early.
The Kg Wellesley native, who works as a cook, said he has never missed performing his civic duty since the age of 28.
Meanwhile, Butterworth-based wholesaler Kweh Seng Wee, 72, said that he has been explaining to youth here why they should come out to vote.
“This is for their future,” said Kweh, when approached by Scoop at the polling centre in Sekolah Kebangsaan Sg Duri, Sg Bakap.
Meanwhile, Kolej Vokasional Nibong Tebal student Muhd Zairi Hakimi Zairi Zam, 19, stressed that his peers should come out and vote in order to determine the direction of the country.
“We do not want our country to be in decline, we want it to continue to progress and prosper,” he told reporters after casting his ballot.
Zairi also expressed his excitement about voting for the first time and had arrived punctually at the polling centre at 8.00am.
However, the construction technology diploma student also revealed that he was nervous about voting.
“But the polling officers (stationed here) have been helpful,” he added.
Zairi said the winning candidate must serve constituents well, especially the poor.
“The Almighty will question you in the afterlife,” he said.
The Sg Bakap by-election is a straight contest between Pakatan Harapan’s Joohari Ariffin of PKR and Abidin Ismail of PAS.
The seat fell vacant due to the death of Perikatan Nasional assemblyman Nor Zamri Latiff of PAS on May 24.
Before it fell to PAS-PN in the state elections last year, it had been a PKR seat since 2008. – July 6, 2024