CAMERON POLLS | Polling day for the Cameron Highlandsby-election - which is expected to be the tightest contest since the Teluk Intan polls in 2014 - has finally arrived.
The polling stations throughout the constituency will open at 8am and will close at different times throughout the day due to logistics issues, according to the Election Commission.
The latest closing time for polling stations is at 5.30pm, after which Malaysiakini will feature live coverage of the results.
Follow Malaysiakini as we bring you live reports of polling day on the ground.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ramli: I don't want to fall into their trap
- BN, Harapan set up tents outside Betau polling station
- DAP flags appear in PAS stronghold
- MP objects to 'pondok panas'
- 'Voting process faster than GE14'
- Independent Wong lines up to vote
Voter turnout rate 47pct as of 11am
12.00pm: The EC announces that the voter turnout rate as of 11am is 47 percent.
Ramli: I don't want to fall into their trap
11.40am: SK Mensun – BN candidate Ramli Mohd Noor denies disliking the media. He says that as a former senior police officer, he often dealt with the media in the past.
“I am used to you. But I do not want to fall into their (Pakatan Harapan) trap. The more you talk, the more crap comes out...,” he adds.
Asked if he is confident about the outcome, he replies: “Insya Allah.”
BN, Harapan set up tents outside Betau polling station
11.20am: SK Betau, Jelai - BN and Pakatan Harapan have set up tents outside this polling station, albeit further than the stipulated 500m from the entrance.
BN supporters shout “kencing” while Harapan supporters chant “Pakatan Harapan.”
EC: 33 pct turnout so far
10.45am: Brinchang - Election Commission head Azizan Azhar Harun estimates that the turnout rate, as of 10am, is 33 percent.
"All is going well," he says while visiting the SJKC Brinchang voting centre.
More DAP flags appear
10.45am: Jelai - It seems that the DAP flags appearing in Sungai Keledek is not an isolated incident.
According to Ketari assemblyperson Young Syefura Othman, there were similar flags in Sungai Koyan 1, Sungai Koyan 3 and Lubuk Kulit – all Malay-majority areas.
Election laws only allow for contesting parties to put up campaign material. In this case, DAP's M Manogaran can only use the Pakatan Harapan logo for his campaign.
Over the past two weeks, PAS and BN have been repeatedly accusing DAP of being the enemy of Islam when engaging Malay voters.
Sabotaj sini sana.
23 people are talking about this
15 percent turnout at 9am
10.30am: Tanah Rata - Election Commission head Azhar Azizan Harun estimates that 15 percent of the 31,639 eligible voters to have cast their ballots as of 9am.
So far, the weather is looking good and expected to hold.
The turnout for Cameron Highlands during the 14th general election was around 79 percent.
Among the voters is former MyPPP president M Kayveas, who hopes to see changes to election rules so that only locals can run for public office.
Pahang MB votes, not every candidate can
9.50am: Tanjung Gahai - Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail casts his ballot in SK Tanjung Gahai. He is a Cameron Highlands voter and is the lawmaker for Jelai.
Of the four candidates for this by-election, only independent candidates Wong Seng Yee and Sallehudin Ab Talib are eligible voters.
Records show BN's Ramli Mohd Noor is a registered voter in Kuala Lumpur, while Harapan's M Manogaran is a voter in Selangor.
DAP flags appear in PAS stronghold
9.20am: Kampung Sungai Keledek - Pakatan Harapan activists remove a number of flags bearing the DAP symbol near the voting centre.
They also remove a bunting with the image of Harapan candidate M Manogaran and Lim Kit Siang, which appears to be a modified version of another poster depicting Manogaran and Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Some of the Harapan activists believe that the unsanctioned posters and flags appeared last night.
BN activists in the vicinity cheer their Harapan counterparts on during the process.
Sungai Keledek is a PAS stronghold. The party won 60 percent of votes in the polling district during the 14th general election.
MP objects to 'pondok panas'
9.15am: Pos Mensun - Klang MP Charles Santiago is raising objections about a booth with BN campaign material near the voting centre.
After complaining to the Election Commission officials and the police, the person manning the booth moves further away.
"They are putting pressure on voters... This is going to be a close election. Every vote matters," Santiago told Malaysiakini.
The booths - colloquially known as pondok panas - serves as an unofficial method for voters to check if they are in the right voting centre.
However, such booths are typically for last-minute campaigning while gauging voter turnout and sentiment.
As of 9am, approximately 20 percent of the 557 voters in the Pos Mensun district have already shown up at the polling centre.
'Voting process faster than GE14'
8.55am: Tanah Rata - Rash Pal Kaur (photo), a 55-year-old teacher who has voted six times in Cameron Highlands, said she only spent 20 minutes waiting in line this morning at SMK Sultan Ahmad Shah to cast her vote.
“It (the process) was very smooth. Much faster than during the 14th general election.
“I didn’t have to wait long. Within 20 minutes, I was done,” she told reporters at the polling station.
Independent Wong lines up to vote
8.00am: Bertam Valley - Independent candidate Wong Seng Yee arrives at the SJK(C) Bertam Valley polling station, where he will cast his vote.
The 40-year-old ditches the trademark farmer's outfit he sported throughout the campaign, opting for a black jacket and brown shoes.
Wong says he will avoid shaking hands with constituents and reporters to avoid being seen as campaigning on polling day.
About 50 people are lining up to cast their ballots at the polling station. -Mkini
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