PONTIAN: Despite the huge task on their hands to cover the Tanjung Piai by-election, several media personnel who are among registered voters in the parliamentary constituency, have been able to discharge their responsibilities today.
One of them, Najihah Harun, 25, journalist from the Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), expressed her excitement to vote when she turned up at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pengkalan Raja in Pekan Nanas here as early as 6am to cast her ballot paper before rushing off to cover the ongoing voting process.
“It is a new experience for me as this is my first time voting while at the same time being a media personnel covering the by-election. During the 14th General Election (GE14) last year, I voted as a member of the public.
“The voting process carried out by the Election Commission is also good, it doesn’t even take five minutes for me to complete my voting process. I came early to vote before continue to cover the election,” she told the media after the voting process.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Gazette photographer Mohd Hazrol Zainal, 25, said he was excited to vote despite being busy covering the by-election.
Hazrol, met at the SK Pengkalan Raja to cast his vote, described the experience was very exciting despite having two big responsibilities to carry out - reporting news related to the ongoing by-election and voting - he was very eager to vote after failing to do so during the GE14 last year.
“I am very excited as this is my first time voting because I couldn’t vote during the GE14 last year as I was stuck in horrible traffic crawl in Muar as I was covering the election there then.
“I don’t want to do the postal voting as I want to experience the lively atmosphere casting the ballot paper in my own constituency and get my finger inked,” he said, adding that today’s is the eighth election he has covered thus far, including by-elections and the GE14.
The Tanjong Piai parliamentary by-election today sees 27 polling centres with 125 streams open from 8am until 5.30pm. — Bernama
