MUAR: Johor’s royal town of Muar has experienced a surge in activity due to the Simpang Jeram by-election and the recently concluded school holidays. The increase in traffic began on August 26, a day after the start of the school holidays, and three days before nomination day. Political party leaders arrived in Muar during this period, and their party machinery was mobilized in the historic town.
According to booking websites, many hotels and homestays in Muar town, which was named Asean’s cleanest city, are nearly full. Visitors, referring to themselves as ‘election tourists,’ have been using Facebook accounts of Muar residents to find the best ‘asam pedas’ in Muar and suitable hotels in strategic locations.
“In the past few weeks, nearly 70 per cent of those staying at our hotels are working guests or extended families who come from places like Kuala Lumpur, with a booking rate of over 80 per cent,” said Ng Hui Hui, manager at Wood Boutique Hotel Muar.
Muar continues to be the focus of election tourists in the state, with mega ceramah (talks) organized by political parties attracting attention. Media practitioners from the capital are also present in Muar.
Zainah Hussein, owner of Satay Warisan, stated that there has been an increase in the number of customers over the past few weeks. To meet customer demand, about 3,000 sticks of satay are prepared every day, including beef, chicken, and tripe.
Similarly, an employee from Asam Pedas Kakyah, who wished to remain anonymous as Eddy, mentioned that many outstation customers have been visiting the outlet. These customers are typically political party campaign workers who want to try the local delicacies.
The Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections were called following the unexpected vacancy of the seats due to the death of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who was also the Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, on July 23. The by-elections will involve a three-way contest between Perikatan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional, and independent candidates.
For the Simpang Jeram seat, the candidates are Nazri Abdul Rahman from Pakatan, Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya from Perikatan, and independent candidate businessman S. Jeganathan. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
