Khir rides a ‘kapchai’ to vote

Khir rides a ‘kapchai’ to vote

SUNGAI BESAR: Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo caught many at the SK Simpang Lima polling station here by surprise when he rode in on a motorcycle with his wife riding pillion.

The Selangor Mentri Besar, who is defending his Sungai Panjang state seat, said he decided to buy a motorcycle because it was easier for him to move from one polling centre to another to gauge the mood of the voters in the mostly village areas in his constituency.

The Selangor Barisan Nasional chairman got the motorbike only on Friday but rode it comfortably through the narrow road leading to the school with his wife Datin Seri Zaharah Kechik yesterday.

Several voters checking their details at the Barisan booth outside the school only realised the VIP voter had arrived when press photographers rushed to get shots of him on the cub bike.

Easy rider: Khir moving around in a cub bike with Zaharah riding pillion arriving at the SK Simpang Lima polling station.

The motorcycle carries the registration number BJV 8888 to match the lucky number 8 – Dr Khir had claimed that Selangor covers 8,000 sq km, has eight million residents, 2008 is the election year and he was appointed mentri besar in August, the eighth month.

Dr Khir’s birthday also falls in August, it’s his eighth year as mentri besar, there are 78 state and parliamentary seats in Selangor and polling day is on March 8.

He and his wife cast their votes at the school located less than 100m from his house and joined supporters at a nearby coffeeshop for breakfast and a chance to chat with voters.

Also casting their votes at the same polling centre were senior citizens Sidah Shaari, 84, and Piaae Mangon, 72, who have never missed a chance to vote since the first general election.

Both of the seniors in wheelchairs were assisted by staff at the polling centre as they put their votes into the ballot boxes.