KUALA PILAH: Internet connectivity could emerge as an issue influencing some of the voters in the Negri Sembilan election on Saturday.
Residents in several semi-rural and rural constituencies are complaining that unreliable mobile data has become a daily frustration affecting work, studies and communication.
Several voters interviewed by The Star said internet quality varied across the state, with those in rural areas experiencing unstable connections, while the urban residents reported fewer problems.
A voter from Gemas, Azrina Mohamad, 32, said internet access deteriorated significantly during heavy rain.
“The internet connection in my area gets really bad whenever there’s heavy rain. You basically can’t do anything online.
“Even WhatsApp becomes difficult to use, and apps like TikTok won’t load at all until the weather improves,” she said.
In neighbouring Juasseh, another voter Fatihah Abdullah, 29, said internet access was generally satisfactory, although speeds slowed during storms or in crowded areas.
“The internet in my area is generally fine and I don’t have any major issues. It only slows down when there’s a storm or when I’m in places with a lot of people.
“Maybe it’s because there are new telecommunications towers near where I live, which is why my connection has been quite reliable,” she said.
Another resident from Kuala Pilah, Hazim Zulkifli, 21, said connectivity had not posed any major problems in the town area.
“So far, my internet connection has been good. I think it’s because I live within the town area. I’m not too sure about the situation in other parts of the district though.
“I do hope the next state government will resolve internet connection issues in the state,” he said.
However, a voter from Chennah, who introduced herself as Vivian, described a far more challenging experience, saying weak internet coverage had affected even basic online communication.
“The internet is really unstable here. We can’t watch videos, order food deliveries or even use WhatsApp properly.
“Sometimes you send a message and it only reaches the other person a minute or several minutes later.
“Uploading or downloading videos is especially frustrating because it’s so slow,” she said.
A young voter from Felda Paroi, Azeem Zulkifli, echoed similar concerns.
“The internet here has never been very stable. Sometimes it’s okay, but other times the connection is poor. It makes it difficult to study online or upload content to social media,” he said.
