Finishing touches: EC employees Zarifah Muhamad Zainal (left) and Siti Balkis Zulkifli making final preparations for polling day today at Dewan Sebaguna Kuala Kubu Baharu. — KK SHAM/The Star
HULU SELANGOR: As Kuala Kubu Baharu goes to the polls today, many of its voters say they want a candidate with a track record of community service, while political parties say they will focus on boosting turnout.
The candidates are expected to deploy activists to persuade outstation voters to return to cast their ballots, while other members are in charge of ferrying supporters to and from voting centres.
May Chan, a 38-year-old hardware store owner in Pekan Rasa in Kuala Kubu Baru, will choose a candidate from a party that has a track record of supporting the community and ensuring that development programmes are implemented.
She said Perikatan Nasional candidate Henry Teoh, who lost by 4,119 votes in the state polls last year, was helpful to the people, and his services were much appreciated.
“I’m still concerned about the candidates’ political parties. If their party performs poorly in other state governments, this is a worry for me,” she said when met here.
Chan said that although development in Pekan Rasa has been stagnant for years, the authorities are quick to respond whenever complaints are lodged.
Wong Uei Lin, a 48-year-old coffee shop owner, prefers a more spontaneous approach to voting, intending to make his decision at the eleventh hour.
“I want a candidate who stays engaged with the locals, not one who disappears after being elected.
“However, since the Pakatan Harapan candidate is also new, I’m still undecided about my vote,” he added.
Restaurant owner Tan Kok Hong, 66, insists that despite inflation and the soaring prices of consumer items, he has made his decision.
“I want a representative who will diligently address our dilemmas and help us during economic hardships,” he said.
Tan said he is worried about the sharp increase in prices of food items such as noodles, which have gone up from RM5 to RM7.
Tan Sew Sewan, 77, who owns Sun Sun Nam Cheong coffee shop known for its Hainanese chicken chop, said he is happy with the progress of development in Kuala Kubu Baru.
“The only thing lacking here are food courts. There are a lot of tourists in KKB, and they always want to eat in my shop.
“My shop cannot accommodate that many customers,” he added.
Tan said he and his family members will cast their ballots today.
“My children will return to vote. I don’t have to call them to come back. Voting happens only once every five years,” he added.
Wantan mee cook Wong Xiu Lin, 62, is not willing to reveal who she will vote for.
“Who do you think I’m voting for? Our vote is a secret,” she said with a grin when met at her stall in Pekan Kuala Kubu Baru.
Wong’s business has increased since nomination day on April 26.
“Customers have been flowing in throughout the week. We usually only open till 5pm, but we’ve extended our hours till 8pm daily to cope with the demand,” she said.
Syed Idris Shamir, 59, who heads the Taman Pasir Putih Umno branch, said parties in the unity government alliance will be working hard to assist their supporters in voting.
“On polling day, we will go house-to-house to bring out our voters. Even if they are unwell, we will bring them out to vote,” he said, laughing.
Meanwhile, Perikatan youth machinery director Hilman Idham said the party has set up a communications centre to engage with young voters who are mostly residing outside the constituency.
“This centre focuses on encouraging young voters aged 18 to 40 to vote on polling day,” he added.
Hilman said the high turnout rate of 97% during early voting is an optimistic sign for Perikatan.
“We hope the spirit shown by the early voters will resonate with the rest of the registered voters here,” he added.
