Oldest Terengganu voter waiting eagerly for polling day
KUALA TERENGGANU, April 21 (Bernama) -- "From the time the Alliance Party chose the sailing ship as their logo until the party became Barisan Nasional and changed their logo to the weighing scale, my loyalty had always been with this party," said Mamat Abdullah.
Mamat who is 117 years old this year, and verified by the Social Welfare Department as the oldest voter in Terengganu, will be joining Malaysians as they cast their ballots in the 14th general election (GE14) this May 9.
The centenarian when met at his home in Kampung Beladau Kolam near Manir here said, he just couldn't wait to cast his vote for the Hulu Terengganu parliamentary seat and Manir state seat.
Mamat, who would be accompanied by his son Abdullah, 62, to the polling station said, this would be the 14th time for him to go to the polls.
According to Mamat he had remained loyal to the party because he had not forgotten the struggles of the Alliance Party in fighting for independence and the party's determination in championing the people.
Abdullah, a retired teacher said his father would often share with him his past experiences and difficulties of the people, especially the Malays in the pre-independence days and the efforts carried out by the government in protecting the people.
"My father will always say that God alone knows how difficult life was at that time. After the Alliance gained victory to form the government, people began to live comfortably with basic amenities such as roads, water, electricity and education for the children.
"From those days until today, the government had done everything it could to ensure better lives for the people, ... that's why he said, he will never vote for any other party," he said.
He added that his father often reminded and advised people to be grateful for the prosperity and peace in the country and to make full use of the opportunities provided by the government to build a better future for the next generation.
"Another reason for my father's love and loyalty is because the leaders had always shown their concern for the welfare of the people.
"In fact the local leaders here, will take the trouble to visit those who are sick or in difficulties as well as join them in their feasts and celebrations," he added.
-- BERNAMA
