Nenggiri By-election: Tok Batin Goes To Poll In Orang Asli Garb

By Megat Amir Irham

GUA MUSANG, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- The atmosphere at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Meranto, one of the polling centres in the Nenggiri state by-election, is vibrant and distinctive, with the presence of some Orang Asli voters dressed in their traditional costumes to cast their votes.

One of them,  Ali Lateh, 74, who is dressed from top to toe in the Orang Asli garb, arrived at the polling station at 8.30 am.

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The Tok Batin (chieftain) of the Kuala Lah Orang Asli village, Kuala Lah wore a waistcoat made from the bark of the Ipoh and Terap trees and a hat made of coconut leaves.

Ali, who is from the Mendriq, said he wore the waistcoat, a traditional costume of the Mendriq and Temiar tribes, to showcase the uniqueness of the Orang Asli community.

"This is a traditional dress of the Orang Asli. It is made from tree bark. It cannot be kept for a long time because the tree bark will rot,” he said when met by Bernama after he had cast his vote at the polling station.

The Orang Asli made up about 14 per cent of the 20,259 registered voters in the Nenggiri state constituency.

 Meanwhile, a clinic assistant in Kuala Lumpur, Rosliza Ali, 25, said she returned to her hometown by bus to fulfil her responsibility as a voter.

“Because of the distance, I seldom come back to my hometown but took leave to come home to vote realising the importance of her vote.

“I bought the bus ticket early, which was soon after the announcement of the by-election, and took four days' leave from work to come home,” she said.

The Nenggiri by-election was called following the vacancy of the seat, as announced by Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah on June 19, after the former incumbent, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim lost his Bersatu membership on June 13.

It involved a straight fight between BN candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani, also known as Awie, representing the Unity Government, and PAS candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, representing Perikatan Nasional (PN).

In the Kelantan State Election (PRN) on Aug 15 last year, Mohd Azizi defeated BN candidate Ab Aziz Yussof with a majority of 810 votes.

-- BERNAMA