KLUANG: Voter Tee Ley Hoe, 30, took a leave from his job in Singapore and made the three-hour journey back home to Mahkota to exercise his democratic rights.
"I don't mind how much it costs. I am doing this for Kluang and Malaysia," said Tee, who works in Singapore and arrived in Kluang early this morning.
Tee, who cast his ballot at SMK Sri Perdana, said this was his second time voting, following his participation in the Johor state election two years ago.
"I have been working in Singapore for the past 10 years, and coming home to vote is not just my responsibility, but something I am doing for Kluang and the Mahkota constituency," he said.
Tee said he decided to take leave two weeks ago after a chance encounter with Kluang member of parliament Wong Shu Qi during a hike on Gunung Lambak, where the latter informed him about the upcoming by-election.
Wong expressed concern that many Kluang voters working in Singapore were unaware of the by-election, despite its significance.
The by-election is seeing a straight fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah and Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Mohamad Haizan Jaafar.
The previous Mahkota assemblyman, the late Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, won the seat with a 5,166-vote majority in the Johor state election two years ago.
Polling will continue until 6pm, and the vote tallying will take place at Dewan Tunku Ibrahim Ismail.
Unofficial results are expected by 9pm.