For 40 years, Azlan Ayob has used election flags ranging from bamboo to PVC pipe as a cheap, sustainable alternative to Johor’s elections.
chisel stone: Amid the excitement of the 16th Johor State Election (PRN) campaign, which has increasingly shifted to the digital space and social media, party flags on the streets remain a symbolic form of “psychological warfare” that has stood the test of time.
However, for “unsung heroes” like Azlan Ayob, 58, the evolution of elections in the country is reflected not only in the way leaders campaign for votes, but also in every flagpole they have erected over the past four decades.
Azlan, who started sweating it out in 1986 at the age of 18 in putting up party flags, banners and streamers, is one of the busiest men whenever the election drum beats here in Parit Yaani constituency.
“Before I realized it, this year’s Johor state election marks 40 years since I started planting flags. During that period, party flags have evolved from bamboo, broom and now polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe,” he told Bernama here today.
Azlan, who is also a part-time electrician, said the idea of using PVC pipes started during the 15th state elections when he faced difficulties in getting bamboo supplies at a reasonable price.
According to Azlan, the price of a bamboo pole can now reach RM4, while the logistics cost of obtaining them from Pahang through the Orang Asli community is no longer considered worthwhile.
Sharing further, Azlan said he usually chooses one-inch diameter PVC pipes about two meters in length because they do not cause itchiness like bamboo, which often irritates the skin during installation, plus they are cheaper at RM2.
“A PVC pipe costs about RM2, while a bamboo pole costs RM4 and a broom costs RM3,” he said.
He said bamboo and broom sticks also do not last long as these materials get easily spoiled when repeatedly exposed to rain and heat, forcing them to be discarded.
“Unlike PVC pipes, for this state election I reused about 1,000 pipes that were previously used during the last general election (GE). This is my third election using them and it is not impossible that I will use them again for GE16,” he said.
For the 16th Johor state election, they have installed about 2,500 PVC poles across the entire Parit Yani constituency, in addition to meeting part of the demand in the Parit Raja constituency.
Elaborating on the technical aspects of the installation, Azlan said the PVC pipe grade cannot be selected carelessly as wrong thickness can cause the pillars to bend or twist when exposed to strong winds.
He admitted that since PVC pipes have market value, they require constant monitoring by the election machinery and should be removed immediately after the campaign ends to ensure that the assets do not “go missing”.
There are 172 candidates contesting 56 state seats in the 16th Johor state election, which will be decided by 2,727,926 eligible voters this Saturday.
For the latest news on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor.
