TANJUNG MALIM: Shops here, especially eateries, saw business pick up on Saturday (Nov 19), thanks to those returning to vote in the 15th General Election (GE15).
However, locals claimed the turnout was not as high as in previous general elections.
Ng Chin Yong, 60, who runs Restoran Ho Yee Kee here, said his business increased some 40% on polling day compared to an average Saturday.
He ordered more supplies in anticipation but his food – curry noodles, chee cheong fun and wantan mee – sold out by 11.30am, some two hours earlier than usual.
“Business is much better than I expected.
“There are more customers than any other weekend,” he added.
Although there was an influx of people and vehicles, some voters observed that the turnout was not as high as the previous election.
“I only waited in the queue for five minutes compared to more than an hour in GE14,” said Kong Koy Lean, 65.
She said a possible reason was that some young people who went to work in the cities had settled down there and changed their voting addresses.
At SMK Methodist, one of the biggest polling centres in the constituency, several hundred people were seen queuing at all six voting streams.
Some complained that they had been waiting for 30 minutes.
On the whole, however, the voting process went on smoothly and in an orderly manner.
