NIBOL TEBAL - Driven by a sense of civic duty and responsibility, a 20-year-old voter with hearing impairment courageously made her way to the polling station at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Duri here to cast her vote in the Sungai Bakap state by-election.
Nurul Ain Atiqah Abdul Aziz, who communicated through text on her mother’s phone shared that she was being bullied from primary school for being deaf, which made it hard for her to be involved in a social setting.
Her mother said although her daughter (Ain) did not have much knowledge about politics, she was aware of how crucial it was to vote.
"Despite the challenges of being an OKU (person with disability) and being bullied since primary school for being deaf, it has limited her (Ain) ability to be normally involved in social settings.
"She was bullied by her peers, particularly the male students who often touched her and took her things just because she could not speak up.
"Despite not having much knowledge about politics, Ain still came to vote as she knew how important it was to vote," Ain's mother said.
She added that she hoped that the candidate of their choice would win in the state by-election.
The mother said her daughter (Ain) could speak, but her speech was limited and she did not know sign language, making communication difficult.
She said Ain was now working with her at a retail store having completed her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification.
She added that her daughter decided not to pursue her studies due to the fear of continued bullying.