Flag war a clear signal of upcoming polls

KLUANG: Most of the people in Kluang are aware of the upcoming polls, with the war of political flags a clear indication there was an ongoing by-election, says Bersatu’s associate wing chief Dr Chong Fat Full.

“I believe even outstation voters know that there is an election, but whether or not they will come back to vote is a whole other matter,” he said when contacted.

Checks by The Star found that most people in the Kluang district, including voters registered in the Mengkibol state seat, are aware of the impending by-election, though some are not sure if their voting districts are in Mahkota or Mengkibol, while others are unsure of the polling date.

The Mahkota state seat is within the Kluang parliamentary constituency, along with the Mengkibol state seat.

Voter turnout for Mahkota dropped from 84.8% in the 14th General Election in 2018 to 55.7% in the Johor state election in 2022.

Turnout for September 2023’s by-election for the Pulai parliamentary seat and its associated state seat of Simpang Jeram, both held simultaneously, saw turnouts of 47.3% and 60.85%, respectively.

Meanwhile, despite sleepless nights, Perikatan Nasional’s candidate for the Mahkota by-election is still in high spirits.

Mohamad Haizan Jaafar said he was only able to catch a few winks since nomination day last Saturday.

“I have not been getting proper sleep for the past four days due to the hectic campaign schedule.

“However, I feel good. I am in good health and my energy remains high,” he said after a campaign stop at Kampung Bentong Dalam here yesterday.

The former Johor FA footballer and coach said he was also grateful to those who have helped him campaign so far.

“We are also campaigning through social media such as TikTok, which is very helpful in creating awareness about the by-election,” he added.