Polling time is like ‘reunion dinner’ for mothers and grannies

YONG PENG: She is planning what to cook for her 13 grandchildren and their parents when they return home to vote.

Lee Kim Eng, in her 60s, said she and her four children would be voting in Ayer Hitam, while their spouses would be voting in other areas in Johor.

That includes a daughter-in-law in Batu Pahat.

“I asked my children to continue to be voters in Ayer Hitam to support Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong though they are working and staying outstation,” she said, adding that they would arrive at the village, Kampung Baru Kangkar Baru, here by tomorrow night.

“I will take care of my grandchildren, aged between two and 14 years, so that their parents can vote first.

“I will vote later,” an excited Lee said in an interview yesterday.

Polling day came at the right time for Wong Chu Ngeyok’s family.

She said her two daughters from the United States, who would usually return home this time of the year to celebrate Mother’s Day, would be voting this round.

“One is already home and another is flying in from Hong Kong on May 9,” said Wong, 67.

The mother of five said her other children would also be back from out of town to vote, adding that there were seven voters in her family, including her husband in Ayer Hitam.

Barisan Nasional’s incumbent Ayer Hitam MP Dr Wee is defending his seat from Pakatan Harapan’s Liew Chin Tong and Mardi Marwan from PAS.

Yong Peng is one of the two state seats under Ayer Hitam.

Incumbent Yong Peng assemblyman Chew Peck Choo is defending her seat from Barisan’s Ling Tian Soon and PAS’ Muhammad Abdullah.

Kampung Baru Kangkar Baru chief Lee Kiat Moh said there were some 2,000 voters from his village.

“Between 700 and 800 of them are working and staying outside the village,” he said.

He expected many from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Singapore to arrive on the eve of polling day and on Wednesday itself.

Lee, 50, said some 85% of voters from out of town, mostly below 40 years old, returned to vote in the last elections.

He said it was too early to tell how many would return this time around.