ALOR GAJAH, Nov 14 — Not wanting to miss an early start to polling day, married couple Lew Chee Phin and Tan Siw Choo were among the early arrivals at their polling station today, turning up at 7am, an hour before voting began in the 16th Melaka State Election.

Speaking to reporters outside the polling station at Sekolah Kebangsaan Jeram in Masjid Tanah, Lew, 66, said he and his wife had been up since 5am to get ready to vote in the Tanjung Bidara state constituency.

“I could barely sleep last night because I was so excited to vote. It also makes us happy that all three of our children have returned home to fulfil their civic duty,” he said.

Having cast their ballots in eight previous state elections, Lew said he and his wife had made it a habit to arrive early at the polling station.

“Since our sundry shop in Masjid Tanah opens at 9am, we like to cast our ballots early so we can start our business day with peace of mind,” he said.

The Tanjung Bidara seat is seeing a straight fight between its incumbent Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ab Rauf Yusoh of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan candidate Mohd Yunazri Mustamiri.

Get the latest news on the 16th Melaka State Election at https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026/. — Bernama