A vote for GPS is a vote for a stable, progressive and prosperous Sarawak.—Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg
Many people, particularly those who don’t have access to e-papers, will be rushing out to buy copies of the newspapers today for the results of the 15th general election (GE15).
Yes, yesterday was polling day for Malaysians and by last night, all the election results should be out barring unforeseen circumstances.
Which coalition has the mandate to form the next Malaysian government? Is it Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) or Perikatan Nasional (PH)?
Did the candidates who were expected to lose in the election lose? What about those who were expected to win? Were they victorious?
Did the Undi18 voters have an huge impact on the election? How about the voter turnout? Was it good or better than expected?
And how many seats did Sarawak Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) win? All 31 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the state or just a few less?
All these details are in the newspapers and social media today. Did any of your personal GE15 predictions come true?
Most of my family members voted yesterday. My elder sister travelled by bus from Bintulu to Kanowit a day earlier just to exercise her democratic right.
Although votes are supposed to be secret, she blatantly told me a few days before that she was voting for the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate.
My sister recently was one of the fire victims when some houses in a kampung in Bintulu went up in smoke. The government and the people’s representatives there helped her and the other fire victims a lot, giving them food, drinks, clothes and other forms of aid including cash.
I guess my sister is still overwhelmed by the kindness and the generosity of the government and its representatives.
Being a typical honest, simple Malaysian, she repays kindness the best way she knows – by giving the caring GPS government and its candidate a vote.
If my sister had voted in Bintulu, perhaps she would have given her vote to the Bintulu GPS candidate there. But like many voters, she is sentimental about her roots and prefers to vote in Kanowit where she had lived for many years and where our grandparents came from. In fact, we still have many relatives there.
One of my nieces, who works in Singapore, is a Undi18 voter but she was unable to take leave on polling day. She was here a week ago.
Yesterday, I cast my vote for Bandar Kuching at SK Song Kheng Hai in Padungan while my son voted for Bandar Kuching at SK Tabuan Jaya.
I used to live and work in Padungan but now live with my family in Tabuan Laru which is near to SK Tabuan Jaya.
I have not been to Padungan for a long time and was surprised to see the intense flag war between the three political parties involved in the tussle for the Bandar Kuching seat, particularly at the roundabout in front of the HSBC Building there.
At Jalan Song Thian Cheok, there was ample parking space, unlike the last time when I cast my vote there. Then I had to go round and round to find an empty parking lot.
I looked at the digital clock on my car dash board just before I stepped out of my car. It was 12.13pm.
Although there were clouds, it was sunny. The weather was good, as predicted by the Malaysian Meterological Department on Friday.
In front of SK Song Kheng Hai, an old disabled man, supported by a relative, was waiting for his transport. I passed through the front gate of SK Song Kheng Hai just as the man got into a car.
There were few people in the school premises. After handing over my MyKad to a polling clerk on the ground floor, I was quickly directed to the voting venue on the first floor.
“Go to Block A, climb the stairs,” I was told.
Inside a room, I showed my MyKad to another polling clerk . She called out my name aloud while she and another clerk marked my name on the electoral register. She asked me to take down my face mask so that she could verify my identity by checking it with the face on my MyKad.
After that, I moved to the second table where another polling clerk instructed me to dip the index finger of my left hand into a bottle of electoral ink.
Next, after receiving my ballot paper, I proceeded to the polling area to mark “X” in the box next to my chosen candidate. There was only one other voter with me in the room then and he cast his vote after me.
After slipping my ballot paper into the box, I immediately left the polling station.
As I walked out of SK Song Kheng Hai, I looked at my handphone. It was only 12.27pm.
“That is fast,” I told myself.
With so few people around and everyone standing so far apart, there was certainly no fear of anyone contracting COVID-19 at the polling station.
My thumbs up to the Election Commission for ensuring such a smooth voting process.
My congratulations to the GPS government under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg which was expected to win big, for its victory in GE15 yesterday. Please continue to struggle hard for Sarawak’s rights under MA63 and continue to care for the people’s needs and aspirations.
And last but not least, my congratulations to all newly elected MPs from Sarawak. Ladies and gentlemen, start fulfilling your manifesto promises now.
