10/07/2026 11:55 AM

Johor Polls: From Queenstown To Kluang, Distance No Barrier For Determined Voter

By Samantha Tan Chiew Tieng

JOHOR BAHRU, July 10 (Bernama) -- Thousands of kilometres away from her hometown, Low Jing Tong was determined to make her vote count, going to great lengths to ensure her postal ballot reached Johor in time for the state election.

Based in Queenstown, New Zealand under a working holiday programme for the past seven months, the 31-year-old did not expect the Johor state election to be called earlier than anticipated.

As soon as applications for postal voting opened, she immediately submitted hers, determined to exercise her right to vote in the Mahkota state constituency.

However, her joy at receiving her postal ballot on July 3 quickly turned into anxiety when she realised there was little time left to ensure it reached Johor before polling day tomorrow.

"I thought I could simply send it by post, but after checking with the post office, I was told there was no guarantee it would arrive on time, even with the express service, which costs up to NZ$170 (about RM430). Standard delivery, meanwhile, takes about a week," she told Bernama.

Fearing she would lose the opportunity to vote, Low spent nearly two hours at Queenstown Airport on July 5 hoping to find Malaysians travelling home who would be willing to hand-carry her postal ballot to Malaysia, but to no avail.

Undeterred, she later shared her predicament on the Xiaohongshu social media platform, where a Malaysian working in Auckland came forward to offer assistance.

Despite never having met the man, Low entrusted him with her postal ballot, mailing it to Auckland for him to hand-carry back to Malaysia before passing it to her friend in Kuala Lumpur.

"The man arrived in Malaysia last night (Wednesday) and handed my postal ballot to my friend, who then sent it to Kluang. I'm really excited even though it's just one vote because I believe every vote matters," she said.

She urged the public not to squander the opportunity to vote, saying the outcome would determine the state's direction over the next five years.

Civil servant K. Yuvarany, 34, shares the same commitment, making the nearly four-hour journey from Putrajaya to her hometown in Kluang whenever an election is called.

"Since we were young, our parents always made sure all their children returned home to vote whenever there was an election. Voting is not only a right but also our responsibility in deciding who will lead Johor for the next five years," she said.

Yuvarany, who will cast her ballot in the Mengkibol state constituency, hopes the incoming state government will create more job opportunities offering fair wages, tackle the rising cost of living, strengthen the education system and harness emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) for the benefit of future generations.

For Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam students Ernie Safika and Uzma Humaira Mohamad Sharudin, both 23, being students is no excuse for not returning home to vote.

Ernie, who will vote in the Bukit Permai state constituency, said she did not want to miss the opportunity to help choose the state government, as it only comes once every five years.

"I want to see Johor continue to progress with more job opportunities offering fair wages, quality public amenities and leaders who pay greater attention to the people's welfare," said the Kulai native.

Uzma Humaira, who is also a voter in the Bukit Permai state constituency, hopes more Johoreans studying or working outside the state will return home to fulfil their responsibility.

She said this Johor state election would be her second voting experience after the general election, adding that every vote has the power to shape the direction and future of a state.

A total of 2.7 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in the 16th Johor state election to elect 56 state assemblymen tomorrow.

For the latest updates on the state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/.

-- BERNAMA

 

 

 


 

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