Since it opened in February, a cybercafe in the normally quiet town of Batang Berjuntai has been raking in a decent income.

But things changed drastically this month when it was announced that a by-election will be held for the Ijok state seat.

Camera-shy cafe employee Ahmad Saufi, 18, summed it up in two words: "Business meletup!" (business has boomed).

This is because the modest outlet, with some 30 computers, has become a temporary media hub from where scores of journalists file their reports to their respective news organisations.

On its glass doors, signs such as 'Server OK' and 'Media Centre' have been put up to bait the newfound clientele.

"We get about 100 customers a day now. This is a lot more than usual," said Saufi (photo), who has been working there since the place opened.

He also revealed that the outlet has upgraded its system for a faster connection.

Sweet corn

Apart from the RM2.50 per hour charged for using the computers, Saufi said his boss has decided to make some extra income by selling sweet corn on the premises. Also on sale are drinks and snacks.

The cafe is situated in a strategic location, overlooking the MIC operations centre. This makes it easy for journalists to keep an eye out for any top politicians who may decide to drop in.

Utusan Malaysia journalist S Anand Kumar, who has been based in Ijok for the past one week, said he frequents the cafe on a regular basis.

"The peak hours are from 1pm to 6pm. This place is convenient and most of the journalists come here to file their stories. The connection is also good and there are no problems," he added.

The Star journalist Edward Rajendra also described the outlet as convenient for journalists covering the by-election.

"Furthermore, the place has air-conditioning," he said.

Over the past week, Batang Berjuntai has witnessed everything from brisk business to top politicians going on walkabouts.

It's jam free roads have now been reduced to a crawl and finding a parking space has become a daunting task for both locals and outsiders.

The town's inhabitants are also growing accustomed to the large police presence, blaring sirens and swooping police helicopters.

Yesterday afternoon, the police also treated the locals to a display of their mounted unit.

Curious onlookers gathered at the roadside, while traffic was brought from a crawl to a standstill, as the horses trotted in a single file.


Fact boxes on Ijok