Elderly Man Takes Wife On Trishaw Ride For Glimpse Of PM Anwar
By Muhammad Faiz Baharin
BATU PAHAT, July 5 (Bernama) -- The scorching heat did not deter an 86-year-old man from pedalling his trishaw for nearly a kilometre to fulfil his wife's wish of seeing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim up close during his breakfast stop at a coffee shop in Senggarang here today.
Abdul Razak Pelangga, 87, said he decided to take his wife, Jamilah Samsudin, 64, on the trishaw from their home in Kampung Parit Bugis to Kedai Kopi Hailam Sri Medan after learning yesterday that the Prime Minister would be visiting the small town.
The Imam of Masjid Raudhatul Jannah Parit Bugis said although he could have driven a car or ridden a motorcycle, he opted for the trishaw to avoid the hassle of finding a parking space.
"Many years ago, before he became Prime Minister, he came to perform prayers at our mosque. I led the congregational prayers, and afterwards we shook hands and exchanged greetings. He was very friendly, and I shared that experience with my wife.
"When I found out he would be in the area, I was determined to bring my wife to meet the Prime Minister. We are both happy today. Although we could not meet him face to face because of the large crowd, seeing him from a close distance was enough. All this while we had only watched him on television," he told Bernama today.
Earlier, Anwar spent about 50 minutes having breakfast at the coffee shop while mingling with local residents during the PMX Meet-and-Greet Programme for the Senggarang state constituency in conjunction with the Johor state election.
Also present was Pakatan Harapan Communications Director, who is also Communications Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Meanwhile, Abdul Razak said he was excited to fulfil his civic duty on July 11, which coincides with his 87th birthday.
"I've voted many times before, but this one feels a little more special because I get to fulfil my civic duty on my birthday," he said.
Polling for the Johor state election will be held on July 11, while early voting is scheduled for July 7.
For the latest updates on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor.
-- BERNAMA