All 25 polling centres in Permatang Pauh closed according to schedule — EC
PERMATANG PAUH: All the 25 polling centres in the Permatang Pauh by- election closed at 5pm after they opened at 8am yesterday.
The Election Commission ( EC) had earlier expected the voter turnout in this by- election to be 80 per cent but until 5pm, the estimated number was at 73 per cent. The by- election saw a fourcornered fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Suhaimi Sabudin, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azman Shah Othman ( Parti Rakyat Malaysia) and Salleh Isahak (Independent).
It was held after the constituency’s incumbent MP Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified to hold the post due to his sodomy conviction and failure to obtain a royal pardon. He is now serving a five-year jail sentence.
In the last general election in 2013, Anwar who contested on a PKR ticket defeated Dr Mazlan Ismail from BN and Independent candidate Abdullah Zawawi Samsudin with a 11,721-vote majority. The voting process went on smoothly yesterday despite the incidents of provocation at a number of polling centres, including in Guar Perahu, Mengkuang and Tanah Liat.
Since morning, PKR and BN supporters gathered on road shoulders to lend support to their candidates, while policemen were seen controlling the traffic flow in several congested spots.
Suhaimi and his
family members cast their votes at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Guar Perahu, here, and Dr Wan Azizah at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Penanti. Azman Shah Othman and Salleh did not vote as they are not registered voters in this parliamentary constituency. tidak mengundi kerana bukan pengundi berdaftar bagi kawasan Parlimen itu. — Bernama