Chaos at the Polling Center

Dear Pak Lah, your call for people to go out and vote did reach the people. Malay, Chinese (those are the races I saw at my polling station), they all come in droves and they come very early. But all that come to naught as the SPR did not look like they're prepared to handle the polling exercise. The problem and hassle at the voting center droves quite a number of people to leave the center without voting. Here's my story...



Mom and I reached our polling center at Pandan Indah at about 8.30 and we were greeted by a huge crowd and several long queues. Upon overhearing people mentioning about 'numbers', I decided to check at one of the SPR table what number are the people talking about and was informed that we should check our room number at another queue since the two queues nearby are already very long. There are 11 rooms for voting at the school so we have to check the room number where our names are and go to the respective room to vote. So I went to the other shorter queue which looks very very chaotic. Nevertheless, I managed to get the room number for my mom and me. Mom's at room 2 and I'm at room 1. After a while, I saw my mom talking, almost like arguing, with the people in room 1. Then I saw her voting. It so happen that her name's not in room 2 and was asked to check at room 1. So she barged in and asked them to check for her name. She didn't want to queue and later find out her names not in room 1 too. They find it and let her vote.



I'm still in queue and the situation's heating up. Several people related their experience of being sent from room to room because their name's not in the list. Some tried to ask the SPR people in room 1 via the back door about their names since they don't want to have to queue again only to find out their names not in the list. I can understand why they don't want to queue. It is a very long queue. Most of them are the elderly. When the situation starts to get out of control, the SPR guy in the room shouted at the crowd and closed the back door. The situation gets more tense among the crowd lining up for room 1 and 2. Most are chatting like good friends about their problems finding the room to vote and some who's queuing for their 1st room is getting more and more worried whether they can find their name in the list.



A guy smartly dressed in Ferrari red shirt and cap sat at a nearby bench looking fed-up. Some people getting so irritated given the run around they throw their numbers away and said they've had enough and is leaving. Several votes are lost there. All the hard work of our ministers and the candidates to encourage people to go out and vote is wasted because SPR didn't do their job properly. Then another guy saying loudly, if you're of the ancient category you should line up at room 1. That's what he's been told by the people at room 2. He repeats it to every one, and some people even thought he's one of the SPR guy. He annoyed me since he's only adding to the confusion to the already confused crowd. What if people takes his word to heart and not queuing at room 1 and their name actually is in the list in room 1? I told him exactly what I thought. That did quiet him and I don't know where he went next. My turn finally comes and my name's not in the list. So the annoying guy is right. Since I'm not in the ancient category yet, I queued at the wrong line. I was told to go to the next block.



There are two queues at the next block and since the queue is relatively short, I decided to try my chances and join the first line. The girl in front of me pointed out that she's told this line is for those with IC number starting with 74 until 79. Just in case, she asked me to check at the door and I did. Yes it's written there in pencil, like an afterthought. It's room 5. So the list is according to the year of birth. Why didn't they say so in the first place??!!! So troublesome to queue to find out which room you're in and ended up queuing again for the wrong room anyway. Just write down at the door lah this room's for people born in which year. This is the 3rd room for the nice girl in front of me. She said her husband registered with her but his name is not in the list at all so he can't vote. But that's another story. Then her turn comes. She looks so dejected when told her name is not in the list. I feel for her and getting quite worried if my name's not in the list too. So is the list really based on the year we're born? I don't want to go hunting for my name at another 9 rooms. That nice girl have to find the 4th room to queue. I wonder whether she did go to queue or went home like some people who gets so fed-up running around looking for their names.



Lucky for me, they found my name. I feel like jumping up and down there but keep my composure, do my duty and then spread the word to other people. My mom and I went to the table where they give the number and told the workers there they give wrong room number and their list is worthless. Of course they have no answer to that but since they've been given the task, what can they do? Keep on giving wrong room information to the people it seems. We leave the place at about 10.00 a.m. and I consider myself lucky not having to run around very much and not having to wait longer like some people. So that's it. Now I can sit glued in front of the TV to watch Formula 1 race. But before that, I have this message for Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, "You screwed... and screwed big. So much for all your big talk about being ready and all. The SPR is NOT ready, incompetent and totally unprepared. Period!"



Note: I did bring my digital camera with the intention to capture the voting scenes but ended up not taking any picture at all. I've no mood to take any with the chaos around me. All I'm thinking is I want to get it done and get back home.