CAMERON HIGHLANDS: At the ripe old age of 93, nonagenarian Omar Idris says he has never missed an opportunity to exercise his right as a voter.
Despite his poor health, the former Telecoms Department of Malaysia (now Telekom Malaysia) employee said he will cast his ballot come polling day on Jan 26.
"I continuously remind my children that voting is a responsibility which must be carried out to preserve the future of the country.
"It (the election process) is an important process in shaping the nation's future and will ensure our country remains safe," he said when met at his home in Kampung Raja here.
Recounting the story of his arrival in Kampung Raja, Omar said he was instructed to report for duty at the Telecoms Department of Malaysia's office here in 1964.
“I initially commuted from Kampar to Cameron Highlands every day before eventually moving here on June 6, 1966.
"At the time, there were only two Malay families living in Kampung Raja, including mine. The other was the family of Abdul Aziz, who was a friend of mine but has since died.
"There were also 71 Chinese homes in Kampung Raja during that time. Most of the Chinese residents came to Kampung Raja from nearby Habu and were relocated to Kampung Raja due to the construction of a dam," he said.
Omar said during his initial years in Kampung Raja, there was a general feeling of uneasiness.
“An intelligence operative also stayed at his residence to keep an eye on the then communist activities in the area,” Omar said.
He said the hill opposite his home was, at one time, a communist supply depot and that communist troops roaming Kampung Raja would collect food supplies from the depot.
“During the May 13, 1969 incident, nothing untoward happened to my or Abdul Aziz's family because we respected everyone in the community.
"That's why I remind others to fulfil their duty to vote. This is to ensure that the country remains strong and safe in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, his son, Md Shamsul Omar, 52, said his father had already announced his intention to cast his vote on Jan 26.
He added that his father has voted a total of 14 times since the first general election.
Md Shamsul said his father, who has 36 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, often reminds his extended family members not to ignore their duty to vote.
Md Shamsul said his father will be casting his vote for the 15th time at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kampung.
