Voters make use of KJ’S visit for photo op
PETALING JAYA: The guard’s post, voters’ waiting tent, and canteen were just next to each other, but it took Khairy Jamaluddin, Barisan Nasional candidate for the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat, a while to cover the short distance when he visited the Kampung Baru Subang police station during his visit to observe the early voting process.
“He is just going to say ‘hi’,” said Raja Syahrir Bakar, Khairy’s press secretary.
But the health minister got more than he bargained for when voters saw his presence as a chance for a photo opportunity.
Before arriving in his black Vellfire, Khairy had sent Raja Syahrir ahead to confirm with the voting centre supervisors if his presence would be allowed and if it was alright to speak to the press under a separate tent set up for observers at the station.
Election Commission (EC) rules state that election candidates are allowed to be present at voting centres as long as there is no campaigning.
Upon arriving, Khairy in a blue shirt matched with navy blue pants and a pair of brown suede tasselled loafers, shook hands with well-wishers and obliged their numerous requests for their photos to be taken with him. He was also invited to enter the police station’s office for photo opportunities with the personnel on duty there.
Flashing a bright smile and keeping conversation to a minimum, save for the occasional “apa khabar” and “thank you”, Khairy, however, spared some time to speak with the media.
Khairy then headed to the Sungai Buloh military camp, where the early voting process was also taking place.
However, after seeing the many press photographers who had followed him from the police station were also there, Khairy cut his visit short.
The fight for the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat sees Khairy locked in a seven-cornered fight against PKR’S R. Ramanan, Perikatan’s Mohd Ghazali Md Hamin, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Ahmad Jufliz Faiza, Pejuang’s Mohd Akmal Mohd Yusoff, and two independents – Nurhaslinda Basri (Sifu Linda) and Syed Razak Alsagoff.
Khairy was not the only candidate who visited the early polling centres in the Sungai Buloh constituency yesterday.
According to Mohamed Ibrahim Ali, press secretary to Perikatan’s Mohd Ghazali, their candidate, too, had stopped by the Kampung Baru Subang police station and the Sungai Buloh Paya Jaras military camps to see for himself if the voting process was running smoothly and transparently.
“From the voters’ response, they were satisfied with the process,” said Mohamed Ibrahim.
He explained to some of their supporters who were seen waving Perikatan flags outside the Sungai Buloh camp that they were there voluntarily as party supporters.
He also added that they were not flouting the EC’S rules as they were standing more than 50m from the voting hall.