Unstoppable forces: Mohd Aqmal (left) came to fulfil his civic obligation despite being on crutches, while Raja Nur Izzati thanked EC personnel for making her voting experience a smooth one despite being injured.
REMBAU: Despite being on crutches, Captain Mohd Aqmal Juhafiq Jumani was determined to fulfil his civic duty by participating in early voting for the state elections.
Casting his ballot at the Sendayan airbase, the 32-year-old, who works in the training division, said he still had a responsibility to fulfil.
The airman recently injured his leg in a motorcycle accident.
Another service personnel, Corporal Raja Nur Izzati Raja Ali, 30, also turned up at the polling centre in a wheelchair.
She said her injuries did not hinder her ability to participate.
“This is my second time voting here. Alhamdulillah, the early voting process went smoothly with the assistance of Election Commission (EC) officers on duty,” she said.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said there were three channels at the Sendayan airbase and it took only about two to three minutes for the voters to cast their ballot.
“This is good because in previous years, be it early voters or those voting on polling day, there were long lines and the process for each person was quite long. But here, we can see that it is going quickly and efficiently.
“If this system is emulated on Aug 12, with the people sent directly to their respective channels, then it will be easy as there won’t be any kelam kabut (confusion),” said Mohamad, who arrived at the airbase at around 9.30am.
He and his opponent for the Rantau state seat, Perikatan Nasional’s Rozmal Malakan, later shared a cordial moment with each other, shaking hands and wishing each other luck.
Rozmal, who is from a military family, expressed a slight sense of nostalgia upon returning to a camp.
“The last time that I was in a camp was when I was in Form Five,” he said, adding that the campaigning tempo would pick up as Aug 12 approaches.
Army Western Field commander Lt Gen Datuk Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim said he was confident that early voting went well.
Addressing concerns over the health protocols during the voting process, he said strict measures were put in place to ensure the safety of everyone.
“We have arranged the sessions for soldiers in a staggered manner to ensure that there is no overcrowding and to maintain proper social distancing.
“Covid-19 is not a hindrance to fulfilling our roles as representatives of the country,” he said when met at the Pusat Latihan Asas Tentera Darat in Port Dickson.
