State Government Election today...

Today, Sarawakians vote for their choice party to form the next Sarawak Government. For me, I vote in Miri and my voting station is at a primary school in Permyjaya. Schools are the choice centres for voting stations. It was a quick and 'painless' process as I went in the afternoon, where the mass voters would have probably cast their votes by then.

However, to my dismay, I could not drive in to the school to park my car. I was told that I had to park it by the road side and walk all the way in to the voting hall! Thank God it wasn't raining but it was a very hot day! Hot, hot day!

Here are some pics I took.

When I arrived at the school, I wasn't sure where the entrance was as it was a massive school and pretty new too. Then I saw this gathering of cars and brollies with some men there and I figured that I would go and ask them.
















They informed me that I have to walk in from this gate as I cannot drive in... that was to my dismay and horror! I mean the school is so big and there are plenty of parking spaces inside! Oh well, no choice, I had to park my car by the road side and walk in to the school under the blazing hot sun.
















It was a long walk to the voting hall. Very long walk...
















When I reached the entrance, I was greeted by two government servants who readily checked my IC and gave me a ticket with a number on it. I was told to porceed to Hall #3. I asked where it was and the lady kept saying, "Di belakang, di belakang (translated from BM to English, it means, " At the back, at the back.". I looked a little puzzled but proceeded in the direction she was pointing (as there was hardly any voters around!).

It was easy enough to find the hall and once in there, I had to produce my IC and the ticket to the person in-charge. Then with a booming voice (I mean there were only 5 of us - 4 of them were there to facilitate the voting process), he read out my ticket number, my IC and my name. If I were standing 10 feet outside the hall, I think I would be able to hear him pretty well!! I guess this is all the voting procedure that they have to abide to. One of the government servants there was in charge of handing out the voting slips, whilst the other two would record what was read out by the other... as proof that I was there and voted!

The man with the booming voice returned my IC and the other government servant gave me a voting slip. I proceeded to the voting 'box' where no one is supposedly be able to see my vote, put an X in the box of my choice candidate and dropped the voting slip into the big black box. And that was it! Voting done. The whole process only took 3 minutes or less.

So I walked out of the hall gladly knowing that I have fulfilled part of my duty as a citizen of Malaysia... and proud to be a Sarawakian!
















Oh, yes. I had to walk out in the hot, hot sun again to get back to my car!!

Happy voting Sarawakians!!
Hope yours wasn't as 'hot' as mine! Ha ha ha!