280 police personnel to cast early votes today

PONTIAN: A total of 280 early voters will cast their votes in the Tanjung Piai by-election today.

Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun said they comprised police personnel who would vote at the Pontian police station’s Perkep building.

“The early voting centre at the Perkep building for the N55 Pekan Nanas state constituency (1st polling stream) will open from 8am to 1pm, while the N56 Kukup state constituency (2nd polling stream) will open from 8am to 5pm,” he said.

Azhar said the early voting process would be witnessed by candidates’ agents, as well as by ECappointed observers.

EC, he added, would stream the voting live through its Facebook page.

“All early voting ballot boxes will be kept in the police station’s lockups and will be opened for counting only on Nov 16 at the vote tallying centre in the Pontian district office, witnessed by agents and election observers.”

The by-election will see a sixcornered fight.

The candidates are Karmaine Sardini (Pakatan Harapan), Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng (Barisan Nasional), Wendy Subramaniam (Gerakan), Datuk Dr Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (Berjasa), and independent candidates Faridah Aryani Ghani and Dr Ang Chuan Lock.

The parliamentary seat fell vacant when Datuk Dr Mohd Farik Mohd Rafik, who was deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, died on Sept 21 due to heart complications.