Voting comes before wedding for nine couples

GEORGE TOWN: To wed or to vote – that was the question facing nine couples here.

And they chose national duty over nuptials.

They have all postponed their marriage solemnisation ceremonies, scheduled for today at the Penang Chinese Town Hall, so that they can vote in the general election.

Instead, they have agreed to move their big day to next month, Town Hall vice-chairman Datuk Teh Eng Hin said.

The ceremony date was booked two to three months ago but most of the couples decided to postpone it as soon as polling day was announced, he added. However, not all feel that way. At the Che Hoon Khor Moral Uplifting Society, 13 couples will be taking their vows before the marriage registrar today as scheduled, said secretary Choong Yit Chuan.

Those at polling stations are now likely to see these couples arriving there in their wedding gowns and suits.

Penang Wedding Professionals Association secretary Evon Lye said some couples who had planned their wedding ceremonies today had, in fact, decided to include voting as part of their wedding day events.

“Weddings need a lot of planning and it takes a few months to get the date.

“Most reservations were done a few months ago and when the (Election Commission) announced the polling date, many decided to carry on with their weddings, but with the voting thrown in, said Evon.

“Since the wedding dinners are at night, the ceremony in the morning is not affected as polling ends at 6pm. They will vote in the morning after the ceremony,” she added.

Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Penang chapter chairman Tony Goh said there had been no postponements of wedding dinners at hotels here but several corporate and government events were postponed or even cancelled.

MAH Kedah/perlis chapter chairman Eugene Dass said those who had set their wedding dates on Nov 19 are going ahead.

“Anyway, reservations for weddings have been slow since the beginning of the year,” he said.

He, too, said many events organised by the government sector had been postponed.

“Hotels dependent on this sector recorded a drop of 20% in occupancy,” he said.