The voter turnout figures were very encouraging in the Batu Talam state by-election. About 68 percent, or 7,131 voters, of the 10,525 voters had come out to cast the votes today.

Sources on the ground said the general feeling was that most of the votes were balloted in favour of the Barisan Nasional candidate Abdul Aziz Kiram, 47.

Earlier, Election Commission secretary Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor told malaysiakini that he expected the turnout to hit 70 percent by the time polling ends at 5pm.

Based on this positive turnout, Kamaruzaman said it was clear the boycott of the by-election by the opposition parties were ineffective.

Kamaruzaman also said that the EC had provided wheelchairs at the 12 polling stations to enable senior citizens, the sick and the disabled to exercise their electoral right.

No untoward incidents were reported so far, he added.

About 73.4 percent of the 10,866 registered voters went to the polls in the 2004 general election.

Opposition parties PAS, who traditionally contest in this seat, and Parti Rakyat Keadilan have boycotted this state by-election on the grounds that the electoral laws were uneffective.

The by-election is a straight fight between Abdul Aziz and an independent, Ng Chee Pang, 22.

Votes will be tallied at the Raub Silver Jubilee Hall and results are expected at about 10pm.

Boycott a failure

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the boycott ploy by the opposition has failed.

He said this base on the encouraging voter turnout at several polling stations, especially in Felda areas.

"If there are people who abstained from voting, it's only their traditional supporters. Those (voters) who understand the principles of democracy, will not boycott," he was quoted as saying in Bernama .

"The plan to boycott is a failure... so far everything is going on smoothly," he added.

A grassroots PAS leader told malaysiakini that it was true the loyal party supporters were not going out to vote.

"But the number is not too big. Maybe about 1,000 voter will not vote," he said.

A total of 10,525 electorate, majority of whom are Malays, are eligible to vote in the by-election held following the death of BN assemblyman Tengku Paris Tengku Razman on Dec 27 last year.

In the 2004 general election, Tengku Paris defeated Pas' Dr Mohamed Nilam Abdul Manaf by a 2,761-vote majority.