8am - 5pm: Polling
6pm: Vote counting begins
8pm: Results expected
EARLIER LIVE REPORTS - Rain and floods mar voting in Tenang
LIVE REPORTS
10.09pm: Election Commission revises the voter turnout. Instead of 71.8% which it claimed earlier today, it is actually 66.7%.
This represents a fall of 6.8% from the 73.5% turnout at the 2008 general election. The low turnout is unsurprising as parts of the constituency was flooded, forcing many voters to stay at home. According to locals, the floods today was one of the worst in six years.
On-the-spot analysis
DAP MP Tony Pua has done a quick analysis of how the various racial groups in Tenang voted. The following are from his tweets:
Malay votes: BN 83.3% (+4%); Turnout 81% (+2%); Chemplak | Kg Redong | Felda Tenang - BN 88% (+6%) | 80% (+11%) | 86% (+6%)
Chinese votes: PAS 64% (all unchanged); Turnout 54% (-18%); Bandar Labis Tengah 72% | Bandar Labis Timur 67% | Tenang Station 51% | Labis 50%
Indian votes: BN 80+% (+30%); Turnout 39% (-23%); high stats variance due to small size
9.45pm:
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrives. Shortly after, the EC declares Mohd Azahar Ibrahim as the victor in the Tenang by-election.
9.32pm: There are about 100 people still trapped at SMK Kamarul Ariffin, mostly party workers, police and journalists (including a Malaysiakini journalist).
Speed boats are being used to ferry them out but they can only take a few people at a time. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein arrives on a boat to thank the stranded police officers for doing their job.
9.30pm:
Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani tells journalists that BN has achieved a bigger majority in the by-election despite the floods today.
"They still come out to vote in the afternoon (as the flooding got worse)."
Asked about the Chinese votes, Abdul Ghani ( right ) said BN managed to win back two Chinese-majority polling districts compared to the last general election.
"Last time, we lost three out of four (Chinese-majority areas), but now we only lost in one polling district, which is Bandar Labis Tengah," said the BN campaign director.
"There is positive change among the Chinese votes."
He says BN will try to get even more closer to the Chinese voters in order to win all four polling districts in the next election.
9.44pm: EC announces official results:
BN - 6,699
PAS -2,992
Majority - 3,707
BN's majority is 1,215 votes higher than the one it garnered at the 2008 general elections.
9.21pm:
An army truck arrives at the tally centre with ballot boxes from stranded polling stations.
EC has deployed police and army trucks to fetch the election officers and ballot boxes from polling stations that have been cut off by the floods.
There are still some ballot boxes on their way to the tally centre, located in the Labis District Council multipurpose hall.
Both Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and MCA chief Chua Soi Lek have yet to arrive too.
9.12pm: As a result of the cold and rainy weather, the police officers who are still trapped in SMK Kamarul Ariffin begin to burn paper to get warm.
A Malaysiakini journalist is among those stranded at the school which has been cut off by floods.
8.31pm:
MCA chief Chua Soi Lek has hit back at DAP, claiming that BN has won in three out of four Chinese-majority areas.
"PAS and DAP can crow, but still ‘ kalah ’ (lost)", he says in a Twitter message. His assessment of the Chinese-majority areas contradicts that of the DAP leaders.
It appears that BN has won Bandar Labis Timor (63.4% Chinese), Labis (58.3% Chinese) and Tenang Station (54% Chinese).
Meanwhile, PAS won Bandar Labis Tengah (95.7% Chinese). In the 2008 general election, in addition to Bandar Labis Tengah, PAS won both Bandar Labis Timor and Labis.
On-the-spot analysis
DAP's claim that it won 70% of Chinese votes in Tenang is based on the results from Bandar Labis Tengah , which is 95.7% Chinese. There, DAP has 69.8% share of the total votes (PAS bagged 851 votes as against BN's 365).
As for the other two Chinese-majority areas - Bandar Labis Timor (63.40% Chinese) and Labis (58.3% Chinese) - DAP is arguing that they are able to retain the Chinese votes there, but lost out on the Malay and Indian votes, resulting in PAS losing both polling districts which it won in the 2008 general election.
PAS lost Tenang Station (54% Chinese) in both 2008 and 2011.
Only a detail study of all the polling streams (saluran) can show which party got what vote in a racially-mixed polling district as compared to mono-ethnic polling district such as Bandar Labis Tengah .
8.20pm: Official results so far from EC - vote tallying still in process.
BN - 3,751
PAS - 1,599
Majority - 2,152
15 ballot boxes out of 33 yet to be tallied.
The BN victory in Tenang is its sixth in 14 by-elections since the 2008 general election. Pakatan Rakyat has won eight.
Pakatan - Sibu, Kuala Terengganu, Bukit Gantang, Permatang Pauh, Permatang Pasir, Manek Urai, Penanti and Selambau.
BN - Tenang, Hulu Selangor, Galas, Batu Sapi, Batang Ai and Bagan Pinang.
By-election No 15: Merlimau on March 6.
8.12pm - More BN leaders arrive at the main tally centre to claim victory. They include Johor Mentri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman and Umno info chief Ahmad Maslan. All of them are smiling broadly and shake hands congratulating one another.
Azahar is in a new batik shirt and a tall black ‘songkok’. Although he has won a major victory, he looks tired after a long day of traveling around the constituency in the rain.
8.07pm: BN candidate Mohd Azahar Ibrahim arrives at the main tally centre at the Labis District Council multipurpose hall.
7.53pm: Local BN leaders have started streaming into the main tallying centre, including Minister in Prime Minister's Department and Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon.
7.33pm: On-the-spot analysis
Based on the unofficial results, Umno has increase its tally among Malay voters, but Chinese voters are still eluding MCA. PAS has maintain its hold on the Chinese voters, despite the lower turnout in Chinese areas.
DAP MP Anthony Loke says in a Twitter message: "Looking at the trend so far, no doubt BN will win Tenang but Soi Lek and MCA can pack their bags!"
Johor DAP chief Boo Cheng Hau echoes the same sentiments in another tweet: "PR PAS-DAP managed to get 70 percent Chinese votes in Tenang."
Selangor speaker Teng Chang Khim told MCA chief Chua to resign for “failing to win Chinese votes at his home ground”.
7.27pm: Official results from EC - vote tallying still in process.
BN - 2,022
PAS - 1,113
Majority - 909
7.25pm: It appears that the rain in Tenang is finally going to stop. It is drizzling now. The temporary stalls set up in front of PAS operation centre selling party merchandises and food during the campaign are packing up. PAS supporters and campaigners are also beginning to leave Labis town.
7.15pm: Unofficial results
BN - 6,698
PAS - 2,963
Majority - 3,735
On-the-spot analysis
About 91% of the votes counted. Umno has so far increased its majority by 1,243 votes compared to 2008 general election.
7.12pm: PAS shuts down their big screen at the party operation centre. Disappointed party workers are leaving. Some are in not mood to stay in Tenang for long and want to go back to their home town immediately.
7.10pm: Unofficial results: 10 of the 12 polling stations.
BN - 6,027
PAS - 2,331
Majority - 3,637
PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar congratulates Umno candidate Mohd Azahar Ibrahim for his victory.
7.02pm: Unofficial results: BN increases lead.
BN - 4,712
PAS - 2,090
Majority - 2,622
6.55am: Labis MP Chua Tee Yong arrives at the tally centre at Labis Municiple Council multi-purpose hall.
Also present are EC chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof and his deputy Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
6.51pm: The mood is gloomy at the PAS operations centre. More PAS supporters have arrived. Rain is still heavy outside.
Many are disappointed seeing that Umno is leading by such a huge margin in the vote count so far.
6.47pm: Unofficial results: BN increases lead.
BN - 4,420
PAS - 2,033
Majority - 2,387
With 61% of the votes counted, BN's victory is more or less confirmed. The question now is the winning majority. Umno beat PAS by 2,492 votes in the 2008 general election.
6.44pm: According to Harakah , BN is leading in the count:
BN - 3,737
PAS - 1,692
Majority - 2,045
6.42pm: At the Umno operation centre, supporters are in high spirit. The talk is that the party will emerge triumphant with over 4,000 majority.
6.39pm: More than 200 are still trapped at SMK Kamarul Ariffin, the
polling center of Bandar Labis Tengah, and unable to go out.
They are increasing frustrated, especially since there is no food and drink here. They are also complaining that the lorry has not come for two hours.
"I has come here to vote since 4pm, but until now there is no truck to bring me out. How can they arrange so few trucks only?" asked one Chinese middle-aged man.
One truck came at 5pm, but refused to take any people.
A few minutes later, a boat arrives bringing food and drinks.
6.37pm: On-the-spot analysis
This is still extremely early in the vote count involving one Chinese-majority polling station - Bandar Labis Tengah (95.7% Chinese).
Votes for both BN and PAS are lower than what they got in the 2008 general elections, possibly due to the lower voter turnout.
But PAS has increased its vote share by 1.92%.
6.33pm: Unofficial results
Bandar Labis Tengah (95.7% Chinese)
BN - 365 (504)
PAS - 801 (1,013)
Majority - 436 (509)
Figures in brackets are 2008 general election results.
6.26pm: Unofficial results
Bandar Labis Tengah (95.7% Chinese): Saluran 4
BN - 90 (161)
PAS - 209 (244)
Figures in brackets are 2008 general election results.
6.19pm: Unofficial results
Bandar Labis Tengah (95.7% Chinese area)
BN - 64
PAS - 123
This is for Saluran (voting stream) 1, consisting of mostly older voters. In the 2008 general election, BN won 96 votes, while PAS won 128 votes in this stream.
5.20pm:
Polling for the Tenang state by-election was closed at 5pm today with a turnout of 71.8 percent amid widespread flooding in the constituency.
Election Commission (EC) deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the turnout in the 2008 general election was 73.52 per cent.
"The (slightly lower) turnout was due to the bad weather with several polling centres were flooded like those in the Labis old town," he told Bernama when contacted.
An EC spokesman said ballot boxes would now be brought to the vote tallying centre at the Labis District Council multipurpose hall.
The result is expected to be announced at 8pm tonight.
The by-election saw a straight fight between BN's Mohd Azahar Ibrahim and PAS' Normala Sudirman.
It was called following the death of incumbent Datuk Sulaiman Taha, 59, of BN on Dec 17.
