MELAKA: Three generations of a family turned polling day into a special occasion, with four members casting their ballots together at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Notre Dame in the 16th Melaka election.
Leading the family was 84-year-old Lee Nyonya, who was accompanied by her son, Lim Man Hong, 65; daughter-in-law, Tan Lucy, 61; and granddaughter, Kelly Lim, 45, to vote in the Kota Laksamana state constituency.
More family members, including Lee’s great-grandchildren, were expected to arrive at the polling centre later in the afternoon, following the voting time slots recommended by the Election Commission (EC).
Lee, a mother of seven with 18 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, said she had never missed an election since she first became eligible to vote, setting an example of civic responsibility for the younger generations of her family.
“I’ve been voting since I was young and have never missed an election. I’ve voted so many times that I’ve lost count, but to me, it’s simply my duty,” she said.
Lee also revealed an unusual family naming tradition, with all six of her brothers bearing the name Lee Baba, while all six of her sisters were known as Lee Nyonya.
Asked how the family avoided confusion with so many siblings sharing the same names, Lim said his grandmother had her own way of addressing each of them.
Lee said the identical names often sparked laughter and playful teasing among family members, bringing back fond memories of their younger days.
Meanwhile, Kelly said that although some family members lived overseas or worked in other states, they still made an effort to uphold their longstanding voting tradition and do their part for Melaka’s future.
“We remind each other to vote in our family WhatsApp group. Some of our relatives in Singapore voted by post, while others couldn’t make it because they’re working in other states,” she said.
The Kota Laksamana state seat is seeing a three-cornered contest involving incumbent Low Chee Leong (PH-DAP), Melvin Chua Kew Wei (BN-MCA) and Ethan Lim Zhi Hao (Bersama).