Do your part: Dr Wee greeting constituents when canvassing votes for Syed Hussien at a food court in Kluang. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
KLUANG: Efforts to encourage people to vote in the Mahkota by-election should remain strong throughout the whole campaign period, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
“For any by-election, the percentage of voter turnout will not be as high as a general election. That is for sure, we understand that.
“For this election, we are really hoping that people will come out to vote,” said the MCA president.
“We cannot assume anything. We need to work hard to make sure that they come out to cast their votes,” he said when asked to comment on the potential voter turnout on Sept 28.
Dr Wee said Barisan Nasional candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah has been receiving warm overtures from the people of Mahkota.
“I can see that the response is overwhelming, but that does not mean that we should take things for granted.
“The hard work should continue. We have to be cautiously confident,” said Dr Wee, who is Johor MCA chairman as well as Ayer Hitam MP.
He said the approachable nature of Syed Hussien, 40, has made it easy for the people to get close to him.
Dr Wee added that Syed Hussien, who is also Kluang Umno Youth chief, has the ability to engage in meaningful conversation with people from all walks of life, young and old.
“The candidate is a very humble and polite young man.
“I noticed that he would bow when talking to the people, which is not something you see in most new candidates.
“He really knows how to get a conversation going and is very responsive when he talks to people,” he said when met while he was campaigning for the Barisan candidate at an eatery here yesterday.
Syed Hussien is in a straight fight with Perikatan Nasional’s Mohamad Haizan Jaafar in the by-election that was triggered by the death of its assemblyman Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on Aug 2.
The electoral roll for the by-election lists 66,318 voters, consisting of 61,397 ordinary voters, 401 police personnel, 4,510 military personnel and their spouses, and 10 overseas voters.
