Widow of former Terengganu MB casts her ballot from ambulance

MARANG: The willingness of 95-year-old Fatimah Ismail to vote in an ambulance at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Rusila polling centre, here today, is a symbol of the perseverance of a citizen to fulfil her responsibility of voting to choose the leadership of the country.

Even more interesting, Fatimah, who is fondly known as Mok Su, is the widow of former Terengganu menteri besar, Mohd Daud Abdul Samad, who served from 1959 until 1961.

Mok Su, who fractured her left thigh and has been unable to walk since 2017 due to osteoporosis, said that she had not skipped voting since the 1959 General Election, which saw her late husband win the election, and subsequently be appointed as the sixth Menteri Besar of Terengganu.

"As long as I am alive and while my memory is still good, InsyaAllah, I have no intention of not voting. Even if the ambulance can't come, I would ask for the staff to fetch me (to vote)," she said when met by Bernama at SK Rusila, here today.

Fatimah has had to ride an ambulance from her home in Rusila, located about two kilometres from the polling centre, since GE14, and she remains enthusiastic to vote regardless of her health condition as she realised it was her responsibility as a Malaysian and Muslim.

Meanwhile, 95-year-old Dayang Abdullah, mother-in-law of PAS president, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, also attracted the public's attention at the same polling centre, due to her determination to fulfil her responsibility to vote despite being frail and needing assistance to walk.

Dayang said that she woke up as early as 4 am today to get ready and offer her support to her son-in-law, who is also the PAS candidate for the Marang parliamentary seat.

She also said that she wanted to be among the earliest to arrive at the polling centre.

"I am just feeling a little bit of pain here and there. I am as healthy as expected for a person my age. As long as I still have my strength, I will perform my duty and cast my vote," said Dayang who was accompanied by her son.

-- BERNAMA