Three generations turn out together to vote in Melaka polls

In the 16th Melaka election, a family in Melaka made history by turning polling day into a special occasion. Four family members – Lee Nyonya, 84; Lim Man Hong, 65; Tan Lucy, 61; and Kelly Lim, 45 – cast their ballots together at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Notre Dame for the Kota Laksamana state constituency. The family, led by Lee Nyonya, who has never missed an election since becoming eligible to vote, was expected to be joined by additional family members, including her great-grandchildren, later in the afternoon.

Lee Nyonya, a mother of seven, 18 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren, emphasized her lifelong commitment to civic responsibility. She stated, "I've been voting since I was young and have never missed an election. It's simply my duty." The family also shared their unique naming tradition, where all six of Lee Nyonya's brothers were named Lee Baba, while all six of her sisters bore the name Lee Nyonya.

To avoid confusion, Lim explained that their grandmother had her own way of addressing each family member, resulting in amusing memories from their younger days.

Despite some family members living overseas or working in other states, Kelly emphasized the importance of upholding the family's longstanding voting tradition. She explained that they used a family WhatsApp group to remind each other to vote and noted that relatives in Singapore had voted by post while others couldn't attend due to work commitments.

The Kota Laksamana state seat is currently in a three-cornered contest between incumbent Low Chee Leong (PH-DAP), Melvin Chua Kew Wei (BN-MCA), and Ethan Lim Zhi Hao (Bersama).