COMMENT The royal town of Kuala Kangsar is my hometown. It is a place which humbles me whenever I return.

I am heading there tomorrow to vote in one of two by-elections that has somewhat hogged media headlines since nomination day on June 5.

Many of you may think it’s a foregone conclusion. With the split in the opposition votes, BN looks pretty certain of taking both seats.

Truly, it is hard to go wrong with such thoughts because there is nothing much to suggest that PAS or Amanah can actually win it, despite them giving their best.

But that shouldn’t stop us from exercising our constitutional right to vote. We do it simply because it’s the right thing to do.

Just like an international test match of the game of cricket. Sometimes the play goes into the fifth day with a definite result of a draw, but still, you get spectators filling up the stadium to watch, hoping for a miraculous fall of wickets.

Miracle is not something I am expecting in Kuala Kangsar, or Sungai Besar for that matter. Just like those cricket fans, I just want to be part of the process and the excitement which comes with it.

Kuala Kangsar is not far away, say from Kuala Lumpur. If you keep to the legal speed limit while driving, you can reach the place in less than three hours. It would take longer if you choose to stop at Tapah R&R along the highway to fill up your car boot with fresh fruits.

Of course, one can also make the journey there by bus or train.

Any time is a good time to visit this relaxing town. Yes, even during election time. Why not?

So if you can spare the time (and money), please go.

While you are there supposedly to observe the polls, you can visit, among others, the first rubber tree (remember the English botanist Henry Nicholas Ridley), Perak Royal Mausoleum, Istana Iskandariah, Ubudiah Mosque, Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery and not-to-be-missed Istana Kenangan, a building made out of bamboo and wood without the use of a single nail.

If you can’t see them all, that's fine, but don’t forget to visit another tourist attraction, the Orang Asli villages.

As you stroll around the town you may also hear about the decades-old rivalry between The Malay College and the beloved school where I studied, SM Clifford. Not that it matters to visitors though.

Kuala Kangsar is also the site where the first Conference of Rulers was held in 1897, the same year the Victoria Bridge (not in use now) that crosses the Perak river was built.

Plenty of tasty food, you just have to ask around for any of the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai delicacies.

However, when it comes to speaking the Malay language, you may find some words which are not commonly used elsewhere.

In loghat (dialect) Kuala Kangsar, for ‘mereka’ we say ‘deme’ and for ‘engkau’ we use ‘mike’. Other useful words are teman (saya), kebulor (lapar), gemo (suka), gomen (kerajaan), koje (kerja), kut-kut (kalau-kalau), mengholoh (tidur), nyor (kelapa), bojot (basah), sapan (habis), pikiyo (fikir), teghenjat (terkejut), tegeloceh (tergelincir), and many more.

The Chinese mainly speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Hakka and the rarely-spoken Kuang Xi dialect. Among the Indians, the Tamil language dominates, followed by Punjabi, Telegu and Malayalam.

Do have a good time, and before you leave, get a labu sayong (water pitcher) to remember this historical town. You can find them being sold near the Perak river, not far from the clock tower, which is also a popular landmark.

Weird campaign

Going back to the twin by-elections, we have seen top leaders from both sides of the divide making their campaign pitch. Many things have been said, some pleasant and others hurtful.

It is a weird campaign though. Former enemies are now friends and former comrades have become bitter rivals.

If you haven’t noticed, an ex-PM is campaigning for a new opposition party, while the party heading the ruling coalition is having a rather unusual co-operation with their traditional nemesis.

But don’t let them confuse you. It’s all what is widely known as the game of politics, where there is no permanent friends or enemies – only permanent interests.

We just have to vote wisely. It is okay to go with the flow but there is nothing wrong going against the tide.

The campaign ends tonight and tomorrow is the big day.

With all the attention showered upon them, voters in Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar must feel that they are mighty important. Well, they certainly are. After all, they are the kingmakers, each one of them.

I have not voted since the 2008 general election, when the opposition pact created a shocker, denying BN its two-thirds majority.

So going back home on an election day excites me. Besides meeting my family and childhood friends, I will get to vote again tomorrow, God willing.

I hope others too will go home to exercise their real voice, as voters.

In Kuala Kangsar, we have a choice between a widow who is a trained lawyer, a practising doctor, a retired nuclear physicist and an independent candidate who is a former lecturer.

A very impressive line-up for a simple town, I must say!

G JEGATHESAN is a member of the Malaysiakini team.