CHUKAI, 15 Nov — He never missed going to the polls and always reminded people around him to come out on election day, proving how well ‘Pokcik Mat’ understands his duty as a citizen in determining the country’s leadership.
Now at 94, Pokcik Mat, whose full name is Muhammad Abdullah, said he considered going to the polls during general elections as a responsibility and would not waste the opportunity he had to determine the country’s future.
“And this Saturday (November 19) which is the polling day for the 15th general election (GE15), I will still go out to vote.
“My children are working in Kuala Terengganu and I have told them to come home and take me to the polling centre this Saturday,” he told Bernama when met at his house on in Bukit Kuang near here.
He hit out at some people, young and old included, for not wanting to exercise their rights as citizens of the country.
“They criticise a lot, but when the time comes for them to fulfil their responsibility to choose a government, they prefer to spend their time sleeping at home.
“I hope that all Malaysians will go out to vote on November 19. It is important because that is our responsibility to the country, we have to vote to determine who will lead us,” said Muhammad, who is among the 139,423 electors in the Kemaman parliamentary constituency.
Meanwhile, in Jertih, Wan Yah Wan Ya’akob, 98, from Kampung Jabi, is also excited to go out to vote despite her ailing condition, including poor vision and hearing.
Her youngest son, Harun Md Deli, 62, said he would take his mother to the polling centre if she is fit on that day.
“I sent her to the polling centre during the last general election (GE14). Even though my mother’s health condition is not so good, her memory is still strong. She knows it is important to go out to vote,” he said, adding that their polling centre is at Sekolah Menengah Jabi, which is about two kilometres away.
Harun said that based on the asterisk on her mother’s identity card, her real age could be more than 100 years and believed that she is the oldest person in their village.
“In the olden days, people used to register late births. My mother is not critically ill and she can still walk but has to be assisted,” he added.
— Bernama
