RM3,000 flight ticket does not deter Sarawakian from casting vote

 

Norman Goh shows his ‘inked’ finger after voting for his chosen Kota Sentosa candidate this morning.

KUCHING: Although a low voter turnout is expected in today’s Sarawak state elections due to Covid-19 concerns and costly flight tickets, some outstation voters have refused to let their ballots go to waste.

Some voters FMT spoke to said it was important to make their voices heard through the ballot box.

Norman Goh, 34, said it had cost him an exorbitant RM3,000 for a two-way flight between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur, just so that he could cast his ballot again.

A Kota Sentosa native, the press officer said he had flown to his home state last Thursday and would be flying back to KL on Monday before returning to work.

Goh said he needed to play his part as a voter, however small a role it may be, in order to ensure a better future for Sarawak.

“Money cannot be the yardstick for us to exercise our democratic right to vote.

“However, it is important to facilitate people returning to vote and extend postal voting facilities for Sarawakians working outstation, like many of us in West Malaysia and Singapore,” he told FMT.

There have been growing calls from civil society organisations for East Malaysian voters based in West Malaysia to be treated as absentee voters.

This would allow them to vote at designated centres in various states in West Malaysia for the candidates in their constituencies in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sheba Gumbis, 33, is another who flew down just to vote.

But unlike Goh, the KL-based lawyer only spent around RM400 and will be flying back tomorrow.

“I felt I needed to make my voice heard following the recent political turmoil and Covid-19 situation,” said Sheba who votes in Tupong.

The polls close at 5.30pm. - FMT