Steady voter turnout at 3 by-elections (The Malaysian Insider)

UPDATED 12.30am

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 -Voting in the three by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai went on smoothly, with 42 per cent of the 35,140 registered voters in Bukit Selambau having voted by 12.15am, the Election Commission said, and 70 per cent of voters in Batang Ai had cast their ballots by 11am.

Bernama reported that six out of the 25 polling stations in Batang Ai were closed by 11am due to the small number of voters.

Sarawak EC director Takun Sunggah said the polling stations were at SK Ulu Engkari, SK Nanga Delok, SK Nanga Aup, Sempang Kemas kindergarten, Salcra Batang Ai multi-purpose hall and the Nanga Patoh Agriculture Office.

Abdul Aziz said in the three by-elections, senior citizens and women were the majority of voters in the morning, while more young voters were expected to to cast their ballot papers in the afternoon and evening.

In Sungai Petani, Kedah EC director Zainal Abidin Zakaria said the voting process went on smoothly and the fine weather was the reason for many to come out to vote in the morning.

Meanwhile, the situation at the 22 polling centres for the Bukit Selambau by-election was under control without any untoward incident reported.

Kedah police chief Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said police were patrolling the roads and monitoring all the voting areas besides carrying out air surveillance.

“So far, so good. No untoward incident has happened except for some shouting and jeering by party supporters in the hot spots,” he said.

Earlier, some supporters prayed for Pas candidate Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin’s success at the polls, where a victory will be seen as vindication for his short tenure as Perak Menteri Besar before he was ousted in February.

He was mobbed by supporters outside the Sekolah Kebangsaan Changkat Jering but booed by BN supporters who greeted him with shouts of “Traitor” for having defied the Perak ruler by refusing to quit as menteri besar.

Even the wheelchair-bound are not exempt from the practice of democracy in Bukit Selambau.

The Bukit Gantang constituency has traditionally been pro-Umno but they voted for Pas in 2008 due to dissatisfaction with outside Umno candidate, party treasurer Datuk Azim Zabidi.

The current BN candidate is local boy Ismail Saffian, who is confident of faring better and regaining the seat.

Ismail arrived at the SRK Bukit Gantang about 8.45am to cast his vote and told reporters later that he expected victory with a 3,000-vote majority.

BN supporters were quieter and seemed content to wave BN and Umno flags. All shows of support have been peaceful thus far.

However, seven police Light Strike Force personnel complete with helmets, shields and armed with batons had to form a barrier between vocal Pas and BN supporters outside one voting centre.

Taiping OCPD Asst Commissioner Raja Musa told reporters the Light Strike Force personnel have been placed outside all voting centres to monitor and prevent rising tensions. The normally sleepy constituency and its main town of Taiping was heavy with traffic and there was congestion in some areas.

Supporters from both sides are providing transport for voters to the voting centres.

The MyKad of PKR's Manikumar being checked against the electoral roll.

In Bukit Selambau, PKR’s S. Manikumar arrived at his SMK Taman Ria Jaya voting centre and told reporters he was hoping for a bigger majority.

He is one of 15 candidates running for the state seat, making it one of the largest field of candidates in electoral history.

His BN opponent, Datuk S. Ganesan, was seen casting his vote at SJKT Ladang Perbadanan.

In Batang Ai, authorities reported that voting is going at a steady pace in the many remote ballot centres.

Voting ends at 5pm and officials say all results could be announced before 9pm.

In Bukit Gantang, Perak, Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Ismail Saffian faces former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin from PAS and independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris.

The contest in Bukit Selambau, Kedah has created history with 15 candidates fielded, comprising BN’s Datuk S. Ganesan, Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) S. Manikar and 13 independent candidates.

The Batang Ai by-election in Sarawak is seeing a straight contest between BN’s Malcom Mussen Lamoh and PKR’s Jawah Gerang.

The Bukit Gantang constituency has 55,562 registered voters, the majority of whom are Malays followed by Chinese and Indians, while Bukit Selambau has 35,140 voters, with Malays forming slightly more than half, followed by the Indians and Chinese.

The remote Batang Ai constituency has 8,006 voters, the large majority of whom are Ibans.

The by-elections in Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai are held following the death of the incumbents, Roslan Shaharum (PAS) and Datuk Dublin Unting Inkot (BN) respectively, while in Bukit Selambau it is due to the resignation of its assemblyman V. Arumugam (PKR).