Superheroes steal show at polls

IMAGINE the thrill and excitement of seeing The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man at polling stations in the recent state elections.

The sight of the costumed superheroes drew smiles and cheers from Election Commission (EC) officials.

It was evident that everyone on duty at the polling station was amused and enjoyed the voters’ efforts of dressing up despite the heat and humidity.

It was almost as if the officers were ready for such antics and even requested photos with them.

But stern-faced policemen guarding the polling station were visibly less pleased as they were concerned that it would be impossible to confirm the identities of the fully masked men.

A man dressed as The Incredible Hulk created a buzz at the Desa Intan Flats polling centre in Ayer Itam when he arrived to cast his vote for the Paya Terubong state seat.

Then there was the issue of applying the indelible ink to their gloved fingers. The Hulk’s finger was so large that it couldn’t fit inside the indelible ink jar.

Senior EC officers in charge stepped forward and explained that the superheroes just needed to remove their masks when presenting their MyKads for identification.

And of course, they had to remove their gloves to have their fingers inked.

Nevertheless, the policemen remained cautious and monitored the process intently.

While The Hulk and Spider-Man fulfilled their civic duties and exercised their rights to vote, everyone else was watching them, smiling from ear to ear.

Muhamad Sharizal dressed as Spider-Man to cast his vote for the Air Itam state seat at SK Sri Aman in Kampung Melayu, Ayer Itam. — Filepic

They evidently loved the costume play on such an eventful day.

The local Spider-Man’s real identity is Muhamad Shahrizal Mat Sahat, 33, and he has 15 superhero suits.

“I am a huge fan of costume play and my favourite is my Spider-Man suit.

“Last year, during GE15, I turned up to vote as Captain America.

“The volunteers and police were accommodating and I was allowed to vote as long as I removed my mask to show my face for identification before voting.”

The Hulk declined to reveal his true identity and spoke in a gruff voice.

“Last November, I turned up in a Predator costume to vote in GE15,” he said, referring to the fearsome alien hunter character.

The characteristic Malaysian tolerance and understanding was extended to these costumed voters to allow them to express themselves while voting.

I felt a sense of national pride watching EC officials genially accepting these voters’ costumed presence.

I would feel incredibly nervous about donning costumes like that and stepping into the public.

It makes me wonder if these folk might be heroes in their own way for going out of their comfort zone while carrying out their duties as Malaysian citizens.