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LIVE POLLING DAY | Voters will cast their ballots today. What will be their verdict? The results will be known later tonight.

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Voting ends, stay tuned for live results

6pm - Voting has now come to a close.

Malaysiakini will be bringing you live results soon. Stay tuned.

Pejuang leader says results 'very unreadable'

5.50pm: Kg Baru, Kuala Lumpur - Federal Territory Pejuang chairperson Khairuddin Abu Hassan says the situation is "very unreadable" when asked for a projection on how many seats his party can secure this election.

Visiting a polling station at SMK Puteri Wilayah, the Titiwangsa MP aspirant says the party has done their best and "anything can happen".

"Whether we win or not, we will continue our struggle and service for the country and the people."

Doc at polling station with minutes to spare

5.55pm: SMK Dato Ahmad Razali, Ampang - Having gotten off a flight that departed from Kuching, doctor Joshua Williams, 30, arrives just five minutes shy of the 6pm deadline for voters wishing to cast their ballot.

“I’m a doctor working in Kuching, but I have a responsibility towards my patients, my family and also my country, so I wasn’t going to miss voting for the world,” says the young doctor, who got onto a 3.30pm flight, only to reach Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 5pm.

“(I arrived here at 5.55pm) to do what I was supposed to do,” he says, showing off his ink-stained index finger in a patriotic fashion.

“Being the last person of the day, it was extremely quick,” adds Williams, when asked how voting had gone for him.

Another voter at the same polling station in her late 50s is just as determined to cast her vote.

She says that she arrived just before polling closed as she was waiting on her son who was caught in a traffic jam on the way down from Penang.

Man who raised M’sia flag on first Merdeka votes for 14th time

5.47pm: Retired soldier Mohamed Sharif Kalam, who is one of those who raised the country's flag during the proclamation of independence on Aug 31, 1957, votes for the 14th time in Johor, today.

According to Utusan Malaysia, the 86-year-old first voted in the second general election in 1960. He was even involved in the country's first general election in 1955, albeit as a worker, not a voter, as he was below 18 then.

"God willing, I am gifted with good health, although I'm 86 now, and able to fulfil my responsibility as a Malaysian.

"I find that the voting process then and now is not much different," the Malay daily quotes him saying after casting his ballot at SMK Taman Pelangi in Johor, today.

What's also impressive is Sharif drove to the polling centre by himself.

IGP denies telling Anwar to stand by for Harapan win

5.40pm - Inspector-general of police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani denies Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that he contacted the latter.

According to The Star, he was commenting on a video depicting Anwar as claiming the IGP told him to stand by as Harapan is expected to secure 122 parliamentary seats.

However, the police chief says he will not take action against Harapan’s prime minister candidate.

“Maybe he was caught up in the moment, as he was too excited while giving a ceramah and campaigning," Acryl adds.

Johor voter turnout higher now than in March state polls

5.40pm: In Johor, voter turnout as of 4pm is at 69 percent.

This is 14.1 percent higher than during the Johor state election in March, when the total turnout was 54.9 percent.

Poor turnout has been attributed as a key factor to BN being able to win a two-thirds majority in the state, despite bagging less than 50 percent of total votes.

65pct turnout, more voted now than in 2018

5.30pm: With 65 percent turnout as of 3pm, more Malaysians have voted today than in 2018.

Due to the higher number of voters this year, a 65 percent turnout translates to almost 13.76 million votes.

This is 1.46 million more voters than the total number in the 14th general election.

In 2018, with a final turnout of 82.3 percent, the total number of voters who participated in that election was 12.99 million.

Lembah Pantai BN accused of intimidation

5.21pm: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - An aide to Pakatan Harapan's Lembah Pantai candidate Fahmi Fadzil accuses BN supporters of campaigning outside polling centres and intimidating them.

Political secretary Chermaine Too says she was "intimidated" by BN supporters when she told them to stop campaigning.

"BN Lembah Pantai candidate’s supporters just wouldn’t stop campaigning to the queueing voters and started intimidating me when I was asking them to stop.

"BN's Lembah Pantai candidate (Ramlan Shahean @ Askolani) and a bunch of thuggish men, who are obviously his supporters, surrounded our team of lawyers on duty and started hurling threats and harassment.

"We despise such thuggish behaviours and criminal intimidation. Respect and abide by the law," she says on Twitter.

MySPRSemak crashed due to overwhelming traffic, EC explains

5.19pm: The Election Commission explains that the MySPR Semak website crashed due to overwhelming traffic that reached up to 2.5 hits per second.

In a Facebook post, the commission says the high traffic caused congestion and disruption to the application.

"The EC maximised the server usage to overcome this problem.

"Alternatively, voters can obtain their polling details by either calling the EC hotline at 03-88927218 or by checking at EC booths at all polling centres," reads the post.

Earlier today, internet users took to social media to complain that the MySPRSemak website, which is meant for voters to check details like their polling centre and stream, went down.

It is currently up and running again.

Voting suspended in Baram, Sarawak

5pm: The Election Commission announces it has suspended voting at 11 polling districts in Baram, Sarawak.

This is because bad weather prevented EC officers from arriving at the polling stations either by air, sea, or land.

In a statement, EC chief Abdul Ghani Salleh says a new date for voting will be announced later.

With voting in Baram suspended, only results for 220 parliamentary seats will be announced in the next 24 hours.

The threshold for a simple majority in Parliament today will also theoretically drop to 111.

Previously, polling in Padang Serai was postponed after the death of the Harapan candidate.

Another politician wears party shirt in polling centre

4.57pm: Kemaman, Terengganu - Yet another politician has been found allegedly flouting election rules by donning a shirt with a party logo inside a polling centre.

This time, BN’s Kemaman candidate Ahmad Said is photographed dipping his finger in indelible ink while wearing a blue-coloured BN shirt.

The coalition's logo can be seen on the left breast of Ahmad's shirt while he voted at SK Teluk Kalong here earlier today.

However, the former Terengganu menteri besar kept his face mask, also coloured blue, in his shirt pocket - almost obscuring the logo.

Earlier, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang came under fire online after he was spotted wearing a green-coloured vest bearing the party's logo to a polling centre in Marang.

According to election rules, displaying party logos, symbols, or election candidates' names within 50m of any polling centre, is prohibited.

Reporters stopped from Dr M's polling centre, media club alleges

4.50pm: Kuala Kedah, Kedah - Kedah's Media Club alleges that reporters were stopped from covering the polling centre at SK Titi Gajah in Alor Setar.

The school is where former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali are casting their votes.

"For decades, media personnel were allowed to provide coverage of Mahathir casting his vote without issues or being stopped by EC officials.

"However, in GE15, an incident occurred where an EC staff stopped reporters, photographers, and videographers who wanted to cover the polling station. 

"The reporters, photographers, and videographers involved in the incident had valid EC passes and were only waiting for Mahathir to arrive in SK Titi Gajah's compound.

"They were not in the polling station before the EC official was involved," the club says.

Number of voters slow down in KL

4.45pm: SK Jalan Raja Muda, Kuala Lumpur - The number of voters here has been slowing down since 4pm. Many who are turning up now are seen bringing along their young children.

Some say they chose to come during the evening to avoid congestion.

Nur Amira Zainudin, 25, tells Malaysiakini she is voting near closing time to avoid the crowd as she has to bring her three children along.

Candidate says voters told to write names, phone numbers

4.30pm: Kulai, Johor - Pakatan Harapan's Kulai parliamentary candidate Teo Nie Ching alleges that the Election Commission's regulations were breached at a voting centre.

This is after several voters under Saluran 10 in SK Bandar Putra here are asked to write their names and phone numbers before casting their votes.

However, after she protested, the list of names and numbers is torn up.

"This breaches EC's regulations. Voters are not required to give their names and telephone numbers... Votes are a secret!" she says in a statement.

Alor Gajah constituent told someone voted on her behalf

4.22pm: Alor Gajah, Malacca - An Alor Gajah constituent is lodging a police report over an allegation that another voter used her name and MyKad number.

According to the police report lodged at the Alor Gajah police station, the 52-year-old claims she found out about this when she earlier came to cast her vote at the polling centre at SK Lesung Batu around 2.30pm.

The trader and resident of Taman Lesung Batu, Alor Gajah, alleges she was told by an Election Commission officer there that her name was earlier used by another individual with the same name and MyKad number as hers.

Ganabatirau: Few hundred voters without MySejahtera stopped

4pm: Port Klang, Selangor - A few hundred voters were stopped from entering the voting centre at SJK(C) Pandamaran this morning, says V Ganabatirau.

The Pakatan Harapan candidate for Klang says this is because they did not have the MySejahtera application.

He insists that voters need not present their MySejahtera status and says the matter was resolved after he spoke to the Election Commission officer.

He adds that it was a busy morning in Klang where a few others were prevented from voting due to administrative issues.

In another school, four middle-aged voters' names were not found on the voter list, he says, despite their names appearing on the MySPRSemak website.

“This took place at SJK (C) Ching Mian, Port Klang, which only has a single voter channel.

“One of them is a disabled person and at this moment, I am not sure if the matter was resolved but I have raised it with the Klang returning officer.

“Meanwhile, in SMK Klang Utama, one voter’s name was already struck from the list indicating he had already voted but he has not,” Ganabatirao says.

He says, in the last case, the voter informed him that he would file a police report.

Two Johor voters die at polling stations

4pm: Johor Bahru, Johor - Two female voters, including an elderly person, have died while at their respective polling stations in two separate incidents in Kluang and Johor Bahru.

Sinar Harian quotes the Johor Election Commission as saying that Juhara Syed Mohamad, 57, died after voting at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sultan Ismail at 9.30am.

“She cast her vote for the Pulai parliamentary constituency and then experienced shortness of breath before she died suddenly.

“She came to the voting channel in an unwell condition as observed by staff, but insisted on proceeding with the voting,” says the Johor EC in a statement.

The Johor EC says that the second voter who died was an elderly citizen, Tuminah Ambiah, 85, who was supposed to vote at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Lit Terk but passed away at 10.30am.

“The voter has not yet had time to vote. Health Ministry staff were at the scene and confirmed that she had died after an ambulance arrived at the scene.

“Tuminah was due to vote in the Sembrong seat,” it says.

News that shorts, slippers not allowed are false - EC

3.50pm - Election Commission deputy chief Azmi Sharom denies that voters wearing slippers or shorts would be barred from casting their ballots.

“The EC has only one rule and that is voters should not wear clothes or hats bearing a symbol of any political party. That’s all. 

“All other news stating that shorts cannot be worn, flip flops cannot be used... those are all false. 

"If you have any doubts, get explanations on the EC website,” he is quoted as saying by Bernama.

Earlier, there was an uproar on social media over PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang voting while wearing a vest with the PAS logo on it.

Turnout at 58pct at 2pm, 12.2m M’sians have voted

3.45pm: About 58 percent of voters have cast their ballots as of 2pm today, according to the Election Commission.

This means that 12.2 million Malaysians have already voted. At the last general election in 2018, a total of 12.3 million people voted out of 14.9 registered voters.

The electoral roll for GE15 contains a total of 21,173,638 electors, comprising 20,853,681 ordinary voters, 146,737 army personnel and their spouses, 118,794 police personnel, including from the General Operations Forces, and their spouses and 2,741 absentee electors.

There are 5.8 million new voters in this general election, largely due to the lowering of the voting age to 18 and the implementation of automatic registration of voters.

It is a foregone conclusion that more voters will cast their votes than those in GE14. Whether the turnout in this general election would be better than the 82.3 percent in 2018 will depend on those yet to vote in the coming hours until polling closes at 6pm.

Thunderstorms expected in late afternoon

3.15pm - Thunderstorms are expected in various locations in the country today, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) in an advisory.

The states affected are Penang, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, as well as parts of Sabah and Sarawak.

The thunderstorms are expected to last until 5pm, MetMalaysia says.

Selangor voter, 70, says someone else voted for him

3pm: Rawang, Selangor - A voter has lodged a police report alleging that someone voted in his place.

In his report, I Pathinathan, 70, says he went to cast his ballot at SMK Bukit Sentosa in Rawang, Selangor at 12.30pm today but was told he already voted earlier in the morning.

"I told them I had not and showed how my finger has not been marked with indelible ink.

"I suspect my identity card has been used by someone else, depriving me of the vote today," says the retiree, urging police to investigate the matter.

Bride, Spiderman, War Machine come out to vote in GE15

2.57pm: Voters are coming out dressed in all sorts of colours and attires to perform their civic duty in the 15th general election.

In SMK USJ 12, Selangor, a woman is seen queuing up to cast her ballot, clad in her bridal dress.

Her photo, taken from afar, is shared by Subang Jaya assemblyperson Michelle Ng on social media.

"To the bride in SMK USJ 12 - thank you for voting despite it being your big day! Wishing you and your husband a happy married life together!" Ng says in her post.

The civic-minded bride, Jamie Chai, replies in a Facebook post of her own: "Voting for a better future. Doing my part! Thank you everyone for your selflessness and letting me vote first."

At the SK Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah polling centre in Kuala Lumpur, under the Segambut parliamentary constituency, "Spiderman" swings into action to cast his ballot.

The costumed voter completes his outfit with a tengkolok Malay headgear and samping, attracting all eyes at the polling centre and causing many voters to want to take selfies.

A similar heroic scene is spotted at the Paya Besar parliamentary seat in Pahang, where a voter dressed as “War Machine” - an ally of Marvel superhero Ironman, came out to vote.

Harapan candidate claims EC purposely delaying voters

2.45pm: Sungai Buloh, Selangor - Pakatan Harapan’s Sungai Buloh candidate R Ramanan is accusing Election Commission staff of delaying tactics, causing massive queues in several polling stations here.

"I was told (by voters and counting agents) that the EC staff were not only reading out the IC numbers but also spelling out names letter by letter," he says at the polling station at SMK Seksyen 8 in Kota Damansara.

He claims voters in the queue include the elderly, who have been on their feet for hours and are even afraid to use the toilet because they do not want to lose their spot in the line.

As he speaks to reporters, some voters approach him to say there are other voters who have given up and gone home.

Meanwhile, an auxiliary police officer tells Ramanan he is not allowed to hold a press conference at the polling station.

In response, Ramanan says: "The people need to know!"

Syahredzan visits polling centre in Bangi

2.05pm: Bangi, Selangor - Harapan’s Bangi candidate Syahredzan Johan makes time to visit the parliamentary constituency's polling centre at SK Seri Sekamat this afternoon.

Having cast his vote earlier at a polling centre in the Petaling Jaya parliamentary constituency, he is seen at SK Seri Sekamat to observe the polling process in Bangi.

Hadi under fire for wearing party vest in polling centre

1.53pm: Marang, Terengganu - Internet users are questioning how PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang could vote while wearing a vest with his party's logo.

This comes after photos emerged of the incumbent Marang MP casting his ballot at SK Rusila here this morning.

He is seen wearing a green vest with a PAS logo on the left breast.

There are also cries of "double standards" as Election Commission workers are seen standing and smiling beside Hadi.

The EC bans voters, candidates, and party workers from wearing anything with a party's name, logo, symbol, picture, or a candidate's photo, inside the polling station.

This includes shirts, caps, and even facemasks.

Those found in violation of the rules can be stopped from entering the polling station.

Voter turnout 42pct at noon

1.20pm: Petaling Jaya, Selangor - According to the Election Commission, 42 percent of eligible voters across Malaysia have cast their ballots as of noon today.

Total voter turnout in the 2018 general election was 82 percent, while it was 84 percent in 2013.

Today marks the first general election since the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 and automatic voter registration was introduced.

Come hell or high water: Baram folk queue in floodwater

12.33pm, Baram, Sarawak - A group of voters turn up to vote despite having to queue in flood.

Photos shared by the villagers show that at least two villages - namely Long Bemang and Long Panai in Baram are flooding.

However, the villagers are still lining up patiently to cast their votes.

“Happy voting to all of us despite having to wade the floodwater like us at Long Panai,” reads one of the WhatsApp messages shared by a villager.

PKR lost narrowly in Baram twice in 2013 and 2018.

Smooth sailing at SJKC Yeong Seng in Bagan Datuk

12.30pm: Hutan Melintang, Bagan Datuk - In contrast with the long-waiting hours to vote in urban constituencies, the election officers at SJKC Yeong Seng are the ones waiting for the voters.

This is because the polling centre here only serves 117 voters, and thus has only one channel and one voting room.

As of 12.30pm today, the turnout rate is 50 percent, which is about 60 people.

According to one of the officers, the eldest voter here is 94 years old and the youngest is 20 years old.

Futsal buddies vote for change

12:30pm: Shah Alam, Selangor - Eight futsal buddies, who are also first-time voters, angered by the poor flood response in Taman Sri Muda Shah Alam, last December, do not want to miss their chance to vote for change.

Among them is Vishallan Thabonithi, 22, a student at UOW KDU, whose two teachers from his former college and seven other friends were stranded for two days when flood waters there did not recede.

Shocked and angered to find their friends trembling on rooftops, the group raised money for their affected friends and formed a group deploying themselves in the post-flooding clean-up.

The youngsters aged between 19 years and 26 years have known each other for the past 20 years as they are from the same neighbourhood in Section 7 and are former schoolmates of SMK Section 7.

Apart from Vishallan, others are Keshan Gunalan, 24, Sultan Syed Ali, 19, Giridharan Sundralingam, 24, Aliff Zaim, 24, Sivaraj Subramaniam, 21, Pravin Gunalan, 26 and Chia Jiaxian, 23.

They say they are excited to vote and are very clear on their choice of candidate.

They will head to a local mamak restaurant to meet the rest of the group and mark the momentous day over food and drinks.

Too early to tell, says KJ on BN’s chances of winning

12pm: SK Seksyen 7, Kota Damansara - BN's Sungai Buloh candidate Khairy Jamaluddin must feel like a superstar as voters cheer in delight and rush to take selfies with him as soon as he arrives at the polling centre.

When asked by the media about BN’s chances of winning the seat, he says it is still too early to tell.

"The competition is fierce, and we have to wait and see.

"The first thing on my mind if I win this election is, of course, I will list out all the requests I received and try to prioritise them," he says.

"I have to categorise, whether they are related to the federal government, state government or local government.”

Meanwhile, the outgoing healthy minister says at least two health workers will be placed at every polling centre.

Batu candidates' machinery soliciting votes

12pm: SK Sri Delima, Batu - Booths of parties and independent candidates can be seen outside the polling station.

A Perikatan Nasional supporter is seen soliciting votes from the passer-by, saying: "Good morning, please support candidate number seven."

Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan supporters are seen handing out N95 masks to voters, while Warisan prepares sweets at its booth for voters to collect.

According to the Election Offenses Act, it is illegal to solicit votes within 50m of the polling station.

No tents, chairs: Crowd restless at PPR Kerinchi

11.55am: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - In the morning heat, a sea of voters - among them are elderly - are standing with umbrellas. Most of them have been waiting under the hot sun since 8am to cast their ballots at the PPR Kerinchi football field.

No preparations such as chairs, mineral water bottles, or tents have been provided to the restless crowd that spans from one end of the PPR flat to the other, as they wait to enter the polling station.

At the sight of the polling station supervisor, the crowds are seen heckling the supervisor, shouting “mengarut lah! (ridiculous!)”.

Incumbent MP Fahmi Fadzil also expresses his anger at the situation, calling for “heads to roll”.

“They should put up tents, places for people to sit. They don’t even have proper lanes!”

Only two entrances are open where lines collide with each other and there’s no crowd control by the Election Commission officers.

There is also no dedicated line for the elderly from early morning until 11.30am.

“The police are asking me if I have chairs. I can’t solve this problem, this is the EC’s problem. Where is the EC?

“EC chairperson, this is on you. If anyone collapses today at PPR Kerinchi football field, you yang tanggung dosa (you will carry that sin),” cries Fahmi.

He adds that he has previously raised concerns on issues that have cropped up today at polling stations such as this.

PPR Kerinchi is the largest polling station for Lembah Pantai, with over 6,000 voters.

Covid-19 patient braves heat to vote

11.50am: Gombak, Selangor - A septuagenarian braves the scorching heat to go to Dewan Beringin in Taman Seri Gombak to cast his ballot despite being unwell and testing positive for Covid-19 this morning.

Abdul Manaf Abas, 76, tells Malaysiakini that he has a responsibility to fulfil as a citizen and has never missed voting in an election.

"It is our duty to vote. So, I must come," he says.

According to the pensioner, he started feeling unwell yesterday, before his grandson helped him to do a Covid-19 self-test this morning.

Visually impaired person shares voting ordeal

11.50am: SK Sri Delima, Batu - Saraswathy Velaiyya, 40, who is visually impaired, travelled from Pudu to Batu to cast her votes.

She tells Malaysiakini that she took a taxi to the polling station because there is a lack of accessible public transportation.

She further says she struggled to find her way to the entrance after being dropped off outside of the polling centre.

Lucky for her, her brother found her and assisted her.

"(I was) a bit anxious (after arriving), but there are people here who are helping us," she says.

An Election Commission officer tells Malaysiakini that persons with disabilities will be guided to a special fast lane.

KJ hopes for new beginning in Sg Buloh

11.35am: Rembau Negeri Sembilan - Outgoing health minister Khairy Jamaluddin is hoping for a "new beginning" in Sungai Buloh today.

Taking to Twitter, the incumbent Rembau MP says he had voted for Tok Mat (Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan) at SMA Hj Mohd Yatim, Kota, in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan.

"Felt nostalgic going back but hopefully a new beginning today in Sungai Buloh," he tweets.

Mohamad is contesting the Rembau parliamentary seat, while Khairy has been put in Sungai Buloh.

EC officer in Bangi lends a helping hand to elderly

11.30am: Bangi, Selangor - An elderly voter in a wheelchair is among many Bangi constituents who brave the hot sun to cast their votes at SK Seri Sekamat polling centre.

A relative is seen helping the elderly voter out of a car and into a wheelchair.

An Election Commission officer comes to help wheel the voter into the school.

No entry for voter who brings photocopy of IC

11.25am: SJKC Pooi Seng, Hutan Melintang - A Bagan Datuk voter is not allowed to vote as she only brought her photocopy of IC to the voting centre.

According to the voting centre supervisor A Anita, the incident happened at about 10.30am today.

“The lady who is in her 40s told us that she thought it would be sufficient for her to just bring a photocopy of IC to the voting centre.

“When we asked for her original IC, she said she left it at her house in Ipoh. So, we could not let her vote unless she brings her original IC here,” she says.

The travelling time from Hutan Melintang to Ipoh is about two hours drive.

Anwar confident voter turnout will be high

11.20am: Manjoi, Perak - Pakatan Harapan chief Anwar Ibrahim expresses confidence in a high-voter turnout rate despite concerns about the uncertain weather.

During his visit to a polling station at SK Manjoi Dua in Perak, he says the voter turnout that is at nine percent as of 9am this morning is a positive sign.

The Harapan candidate for Tambun parliamentary seat also is cautiously optimistic that the scenario of a hung Parliament would not happen.

“We have explained to the general population, to the voters, that if there is the possibility of a hung Parliament, it means we're back to horse trading, which we want to avoid.

“There should not be any ultimatum on court cases, positions and contracts because we stand for good governance.

“So hopefully we'll be able to achieve a strong mandate,” Anwar says.

The PKR president will be making his rounds around polling stations in Tambun until 3pm before heading back to the capital city for the GE15 announcement.

Senior citizens unhappy with long delay in Pandan

10.45am, Pandan, Kuala Lumpur - Some seniors who are in a long queue outside the main gate of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pandan Jaya express their displeasure at having to wait a long time to be allowed in.

One of them, Ramu Naidu Narunan, 65, says she has queued for more than an hour.

"I didn't have time to come early because I'm from Puchong. In other places, the elderly can quickly enter. The counter here is slow moving," she says.

Another voter Sarah Md Tahar, 63, also voices her disappointment with the system which is described as very slow compared to nearby polling stations.

"It's true that the Election Commission website says that seniors here should come from 2 to 4pm but I came early because I had another appointment," he says, adding that he has been waiting for almost an hour.

It is understood that voting channel 1 for the elderly is quite full, causing many to have to queue for a long time outside.

Voter turnout 20pct at 10am

10.55am: According to the latest figures released by the Election Commission, 20 percent of eligible voters nationwide have cast their vote as of 10am.

The voter turnout in the 2018 election was 82 percent, and 84 percent in 2013.

Today marks the first general election since the voting age was lowered to 18 and automatic voter registration was introduced.

BN supporters offer buggy ride to voters who parked far

10:50am: Shah Alam, Selangor - BN supporters are whizzing voters in a buggy decorated in party flags to the polling centre from their vehicles.

Its driver, donned in a party shirt, stops the buggy at the boundary set by the election commission, past where party banners, shirts, and logos are prohibited.

As noon nears, more voters are making their way to the Dewan Melur polling centre in Section 7 but are having to park their vehicles farther from the centre.

While some are willing to walk the distance, a few are seen hitching a ride on this buggy.

Pandan voters out in force

10.30am: Pandan, Kuala Lumpur - At the Sekolah Kebangsaan Pandan Jaya polling station, voters of various races and ages line up in rows in front of the school's main gate.

It is understood that voters started queuing at 7am.

They are lined up for about 300m from the main entrance.

The situation around the polling place is found to be quite crowded and filled with passing cars.

Pandan sees two former MPs as front-runners - PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli and former MCA leader Ong Tee Keat, now representing Warisan.

Hundreds brave drizzle at Taman Sri Gombak

10.30am: Hundreds of voters are seen queuing up in a long line outside SK Taman Seri Gombak, waiting for their turn to cast ballots despite the drizzle.

Some of them are seen holding umbrellas, while others simply can’t be bothered by the rain.

Selfie with inked finger to remind friends to vote

10:15am: Shah Alam, Selangor - Koh Cairynne, 29, is voting for the first time. She is spotted taking a selfie outside the polling centre - to remind her friends to come out and vote.

“I was not able to vote before this because I was always travelling for work.

“So, this is my first time. I took a selfie showing off my ink-soaked finger to share with friends on my social media accounts and remind them to vote today,” says Koh.

Residing near the Dewan Melur polling centre in Section 7, Koh adds all her family members came out to vote today but are at different centres.

Power trip leaves Lembah Pantai voters in the dark

10.05am: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - Election observers and reporters alike are having issues entering the SJKT Saraswathy polling station here.

“This polling station didn’t have electricity a while ago. We are election observers appointed by the election commission to come to investigate.

“I’ve gone to many, many polling stations and I could just walk straight in, but here, they are not allowing me to go in,” says landscape architect Ng Sek San, referring to police officers stationed at the gates of the school.

This comes after a major hiccup was reported at the station, as there was no electricity from the early morning, leaving voters to cast their ballots in the dark.

Tenaga Nasional Berhad is said to arrive later at the school to restore power at around 9.30am, attributing it to a power trip (according to the polling station supervisor).

Now resolved, the polling station sees congested lines of voters waiting to cast their votes. After meeting with Malaysiakini, reporters from other media and election observers such as Ng are now allowed onto the grounds of the polling station.

Voting in the dark

10am: SJKC Kepong, Kepong – The polling stations here have been experiencing an electrical shortage for around one hour.

When contacted, Kepong DAP candidate Lim Lip Eng says many elderly voters complained to him that they had to cast their votes in the dark.

The incumbent MP then requests technicians to replace the generators.

He is told that the generators were overloaded because they have been running throughout the night.

Fine weather to cast votes in Kota Raja

10am: Kota Raja, Selangor - It’s fine weather after morning rain. There’s a more than 1km long queue of voters, who’ve been waiting since 8am, to cast their votes.

SJKT Taman Sentosa, which was opened about two years ago, is being used as the voting centre for the first time.

In the line, many youngsters from all races will be casting their votes for the first time. Although it’s a long queue, people are waiting for their turn in a calm and orderly manner.

Terengganu cops warn against victory celebrations

10am: Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu - All party supporters are reminded not to get involved in any procession to celebrate GE15 victories, especially on public roads.

Terengganu police GE15 secretariat chief Mohd Aluwi Husain says such activities are not allowed to avoid undesirable incidents that could affect public order.

He says the police are ready to control the situation and urges the public to abide by all rules and laws.

"The Terengganu police contingent hopes that the GE15 process will be smooth sailing until the announcement of the results.

"It is important for all parties to cooperate until the government is formed. Do not provoke or create chaos to avoid unwanted incidents," he tells Bernama.

Long line building up at SMK Saujana Utama

9.50am: SMK Saujana Utama, Bandar Saujana Utama – The voting centre sees a long queue of over 1km building up along the road.

An Election Commission staff member says that a total of 13,983 voters will cast their ballot at this polling centre.

"We have close to 14,000 voters and 20 streams," says the officer.

Meanwhile, seven voters with Covid-19 also turn up to vote as of 9.40am, says a doctor stationed to assist Covid positive voters.

FoodPanda delivers care packages

9.39am: Lembah Pantai - At the Bukit Bandaraya polling station, FoodPanda workers are spotted at the gates distributing care packages.

“It’s just to show gratitude to people for voting,” says a worker, adding that the food delivery company will be stationing itself in a number of constituencies such as Lembah Pantai, Subang and Bandar Tun Razak.

Every school is being provided with 500 bags in total to be distributed to voters young and old.

At the time of writing, the assistant stationed at SMK Bukit Bandaraya claims that she has given out 250 bags in total.

In the eye-catching pink bags are bottles of water, wet tissue, and a handheld fan.

Zuraida happy to see young voters

9.38am: Ampang, Selangor - Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) candidate Zuraida Kamaruddin finishes voting at Datuk Ahmad Razali's public hall.

Speaking to the media, she says she thinks that the turnout would be higher than expected for GE15.

"I saw a good sign... I went out at 7.30am and saw that the young people had already gone out.

"I think the turnout at Ampang, God willing, will be high even though we expected 68 percent, but we can go to 75 percent.

"So I hope voters here remember my services for 15 years," she says, adding that she is excited by the number of young people who came out to vote today.

Azli: Undi18 can sway results

9:30am: Pakatan Harapan candidate in Shah Alam Azli Yusof says Undi18 plays a big role in the polls this year.

He says the group of first-time voters will sway the results and hopes all voters, especially this in the Undi18 age group come out to vote.

“I hope they come out to vote and make the right choice for the sake of the country,” he says.

Azli, who has always been voting in Shah Alam, is among four first-time candidates vying for the MP seat in the constituency.

“It feels strange this time because I am voting for myself,” he shares with a big smile.

Azmin confident he can retain Gombak seat

9.20am: Incumbent Gombak MP Azmin Ali is confident that he can retain the seat.

Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at SK Klang Gate, Azmin says he leaves it to the rakyat who had seen his service to the constituency.

"I am confident based on my hard work to serve Gombak.

"InsyaAllah, the people will continue to be with me to develop Gombak."

Zahid confident BN can form new govt

9.15am: Madrasah Manbail Ulum Sungai Nipah Darat, Bagan Datuk - Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is confident that BN is able to form a new government based on the headcount report he received as of 12am today.

“After we reduced 20 percent casualties (people may not come out to vote due to various reasons), God willing, BN is still leading other parties.

“I hope that the voters will be giving support to us again in order to stabilise the political situation.

“We will be able to work with the other coalition parties to strengthen the position of the new government,” he says.

He adds that BN has launched a “Get Out To Voters” (GOTV) campaign early this morning at 7am, by mobilising 230,000 BN machinery to provide transportation for voters to cast their votes.

Earlier, Zahid cast his vote at 8.44am.

Ballot ticket is very long, says Prabakaran

9.15am: Chong Hwa Independent School, Batu – Pakatan Harapan’s Batu candidate P Prabakaran tells the media that the ballot ticket for Batu "is very long".

Greeting voters outside the polling station, the incumbent Batu MP tells them to "vote for the country".

An elderly voter cheekily asks who Prabakaran is voting for, and the latter quips: "The vote is secret (undi itu rahsia)."

The Kuala Lumpur parliamentary seat sees a 10-cornered fight.

Smooth execution of SOP for Covid-19 voter in Shah Alam

9:00am: Shah Alam Dewan Melur voting centre in Section 7 sees its first Covid-19 positive voter, says an Election Commission officer.

Petaling District health officer from the Health Ministry Mohd Muzakir Miskol stationed at the voting centre also confirms that the voter in his 40s informed officers at the gate that he is positive.

“He was brought straight to the tent specially set up for the Health Ministry at every polling centre.

“I guided him based on the standard operating procedure set by the ministry.

“We checked his MySejahtera to confirm his Covid-19 positive status.

“He is taken directly to cast his ballot. He used his own pen and sanitised his hand before taking the ballot paper,” says Muzakir.

He adds that everything went smoothly and the voter cast his vote and left the centre in less than 10 minutes.

EC officer admonishes Fahmi for PC at polling station

8.55am: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - At Sek Men Seri Pantai, incumbent MP Fahmi Fadzil speaks to reporters about issues at other polling stations in the constituency.

This includes SMK Bukit Bandaraya where, as of 8.15am, the voting process is said to still not have begun. Meanwhile, there are reports of long queues at the PPR Kerinchi football field. Fahmi is expected to visit other polling stations after he cast his ballot.

After taking questions from the press, an SPR agent admonishes both reporters and the Harapan candidate over the impromptu press conference, stressing that it is not allowed on the grounds of the polling station.

Elderly voter in Shah Alam finds new line-up confusing

8:50am Shah Alam, Selangor - Casting his vote within the first hour on polling day, Mohd Som Bidin, 85, from flood-prone Padang Jawa says it used to be so much easier to choose a candidate.

He says when he first started voting, he was familiar with the candidates, their names and who they were.

“I could recognise them. This year, there are so many new faces I don’t even know who they are.

“But I didn’t discuss my choices with my children. I decided on my own,” says Som, who came to the polling centre at Dewan Melur in Section 7 with his daughter.

Som adds that he will continue to vote for as long as he is able.

Ballot box on Google doodle

8.45am: An election ballot box with the Malaysian flag adorns the doodle of Google Malaysia’s search engine homepage as the country holds its 15th general election today.

Visitors to the site will see the ballot box together with the Malaysian flag, Jalur Gemilang in between the Google logo and a short explanation will appear once the ballot box image is clicked.

Fahmi says he’s excited to vote

8.37am: Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur - Pakatan Harapan candidate Fahmi Fadzil, dressed simply in a white button-down shirt, casts his ballot at Sekolah Menengah Seri Pantai.

Despite the slight drizzle, he tells Malaysiakini that he feels excited to vote.

After casting his vote at Saluran 7, Fahmi, smiling from ear to ear, shows his inked-stained finger to reporters.

Come rain or shine: Voters come out in droves

8.13am: Petaling Jaya, Selangor - Drizzle fails to deter voters from lining up to cast their votes at the Petaling Jaya parliamentary constituency at SMK Sultan Abdul Samad.

The pitter-patter of light rain serves as a backdrop to a long queue that formed outside the school before polling opened up at 8am.

Voters can be seen arriving under the light rain to add to the enlarging line-up to enter the school and cast their votes.

Zahid casts his vote

8.10am: Bagan Datuk, Perak - BN president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, his wife Hamidah Khamis and daughter Nurul Hidayah arrive at Madrasah Manbail Ulum Sungai Nipah Darat, which is located next to his residence.

The 69-year-old Bagan Datuk candidate will cast his vote in Saluran 1.

Clad in the classic BN-blue shirt, Zahid looks energetic and in a good mood.

He has been serving as MP for the area since 1995 and is seeking his eighth consecutive term.

Peja believes PN can make an upset in Tambun

8.10am: Tambun, Perak – The Perikatan Nasional candidate for Tambun Ahmad Faizal Azumu arrives at Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat Al-Ihtidiyah to cast his vote.

Arriving at about 7.55am, the state PN chief greets fellow voters who are awaiting in line.

Accompanied by his wife Dr Nomee Ashikin Mohamed Radzi, he enters the voting station at 8am sharp and spends five minutes casting his vote for the Tambun parliamentary and Hulu Kinta state seat.

“To be very honest, after two weeks of campaigning, I believe there is a wave across the country supporting PN, which is very encouraging. We believe we can make an upset today,” he tells reporters after casting his vote.

He also conveys condolences to family members of PN’s Tioman state assembly seat candidate Md Yunus Ramli, who passed away this morning.

Shah Alam Harapan candidate among early birds

8am: Shah Alam, Selangor – Pakatan Harapan Shah Alam candidate Azli Yusof arrives early and is spotted queueing outside Dewan Melur Section 7 with his wife.

He says he feels excited because so many voters have started queueing despite the morning drizzle.

At least 50 people are in the queue before polling starts.

Azli believes he can retain the Harapan seat in Shah Alam and says he remains open to discussions with the people.

“Everyone should benefit from the development and wealth of the country,” he says before heading in to cast his ballot.

EC: No requirement to use hand sanitiser before voting

7.30am: The Election Commission has issued a brief statement to clarify that it has never required voters to use hand sanitiser before voting.

There is also no dress code although voters are not allowed to wear clothing that bears the logo or slogans of political parties.

For more please check here.

PN candidate for Tioman Md Yunus Ramli dies

7.15am: The Perikatan Nasional candidate for the Tioman state assembly seat Md Yunus Ramli dies at about 3.30 this morning at Rompin Hospital, Pahang.

Md Yunus, who had previously contested the same seat in GE14, served as PAS Sungai Puteri branch chief.

Pahang Election Commission director Zamree Hamli tells Malaysiakini that voting for the seat has been postponed to a date to be announced later.

The Tioman state assembly contest was originally a five-cornered clash between Md Yunus, Sulaiman Bakar (Independent), Osman A. Bakar (Pejuang), Mohd Fadzli Mohd Ramly (Pakatan Harapan) and Mohd Johari Hussain (BN).

Malaysians decide today

7am: Today is decision day.

Polling stations open at 8am (7.30am in Sabah and Sarawak) today, and some 20.9 million voters will have the opportunity to cast their votes for their respective parliamentary representatives and take part in shaping the country's future.

Voters across the country will choose from 945 candidates for 221 parliamentary seats, while those in Perak, Pahang and Perlis, and in Bugaya, Sabah will also choose from 441 candidates for 177 state seats.

Malaysia has a total of 222 parliamentary seats, but the polls for Padang Serai had to be postponed due to the death of Pakatan Harapan candidate M Karupaiya on Wednesday.

GE15 is primarily a battle among three major coalitions – BN, Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan. The two-week campaign kicked off on Nov 5 and was rather muted in the first few days but picked up pace in the second week.

Harapan drew big crowds to its ceramah and ran on an anti-corruption platform, while PN’s campaign focussed on winning Malay voters and was mired in a “Jewish and Christian agent” controversy. BN ran a low-key campaign with its leader, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, taking a back seat.

Polling will close at 6pm (5.30pm in Sabah and Sarawak). The first official results are expected to be announced as early as 9pm, but unofficial results will come in earlier.

At the last general election in 2018, a total of 12.3 million, or 82.32 percent, of the 14.9 million registered voters cast their ballots.

The big jump in the number of voters this time – an increase of 5.8 million new voters - was due to the lowering of the voting age to 18 and the implementation of automatic registration of voters.

The turnout rate will play an important role in the outcome of the polls. The Meteorological Department is forecasting rain and thunderstorms in various parts of the country today.

You can check your voting location here. The Election Commission (EC) has called on voters to preferably vote during its proposed times to avoid congestion.

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