DAY 1 | Voter gives Joohari an earful over water issue

DAY 1 | The nomination process for the Sungai Bakap by-election begins today.

Soon after nomination closes, aspiring candidates will start their campaign trail until 11.59pm on July 5. Polling is set for July 6, with early voting scheduled for July 2.

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This concludes Day 1 of the Sungai Bakap by-election campaign.

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Voter gives Joohari an earful over water issue

6:30pm: A kuih seller has given Pakatan Harapan's candidate Joohari Ariffin an earful during his walkabout at Sungai Bakap night market.

Rosnani Ruzi, 56, brings up the water disparity issue that she faces almost every day, a problem that has persisted for over six years.

"Not monthly, but every day (I have been facing the water problem). It's been six years," she laments.

However, she later admits that the government has provided a big water tank at her neighbourhood alley but it’s not enough to cater for everyone.

Joohari remains calm and tells her things will change and that he will do his best to resolve the issue if elected.

The rest of the walkabout goes smoothly and Joohari meets his former schoolmates and students.

N Sembilan Umno ready to help PKR candidate

5.20pm: Jasin, Negeri Sembilan - Negeri Sembilan Umno chairperson Jalaluddin Alias says the state chapter is prepared to help the PKR candidate Joohari Ariffin win the by-election.

He says although he is not being tasked to do so, the Negeri Sembilan Umno has put together a work plan to provide any form of assistance needed for the campaign.

“The most important thing is to ensure that the over 5,000 Umno members (in Sungai Bakap) come out to give their support to the PKR candidate, and we are organising the work and will go there starting next week,” Bernama quotes him telling reporters after officiating a Puteri Umno meeting in Jasin.

Flag war is on

4pm: Sungai Bakap, Nibong Tebal - The flag war has begun.

Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional’s machinery gear up to flood the constituency with their respective flags.

They also prepare the operations rooms in polling centres and districts.

No untoward incidents during nomination

3.00pm: Nibong Tebal - Penang police spokesperson W Puspanathan confirms that the nomination process has gone without a hitch.

Bernama quotes him as saying that 600 police personnel were deployed to manage the traffic and ensure security at the nomination process this morning, and the police have yet to receive any complaints on election offences.

He also says he is satisfied with the cooperation extended by the contesting parties.

MACC opens two operations room

1:30pm: Kuala Lumpur - Bernama reports that the MACC has opened two operations rooms to receive any information or complaints about corruption or abuse of power throughout the Sungai Bakap by-election campaign.

They are located at the commission's Penang headquarters and its Seberang Perai branch office.

"These operations rooms will be open 24 hours until July 6. The public can also lodge any corruption and abuse of power complaints via email to prk2024_ppg@sprm.gov.my or by calling 04-2299262 extension 1107," the MACC reportedly says in a statement.

In a separate article, Bernama reports the Election Commission has set up two enforcement teams to monitor for violations of the election campaign rules.

EC deputy chairperson Azmi Sharom is quoted saying that all campaign methods and materials are permissible as long as they do not incite dissatisfaction, hostility, or involve racial or religious sensitivities, including issues related to race, religion, and royal institutions and do not violate the Election Offences Act 1954 (Act 5) and related laws.

Harapan aspirant’s manifesto

10.45am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - Pakatan Harapan candidate Joohari Ariffin announces four core principles of his manifesto in a mission to wrest the Sungai Bakap state constituency seat in the next two weeks.

Speaking to the press, Joohari says the four principles are infrastructure, morality, peace and inclusive which make up the Malay acronym Padu (prasarana, akhlak, damai, untuk semua).

“We are chosen by the people of various races, various parties, various ideologies. We will provide services for all who voted for us, whether they voted or not, as representatives of the people.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that the people under our jurisdiction can thrive,” he says.

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Abidin a people’s person, Sanusi says

10.30am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - A political leader's strength is not based on his/her academic credentials alone, says Perikatan Nasional elections director Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

He was responding when asked about PN candidate Abidin Ismail’s strength.

"He's a people's candidate, he worked with the assemblyperson before.

"A lot of people have high educational qualifications; they are doctors or professors, but in politics, they are failures," Sanusi told reporters when met after the nomination.

Meanwhile, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang expressed confidence that the current issues plaguing the rakyat will hand victory to the PN candidate.

‘One-on-one, gentleman’ contest for Sungai Bakap

10.20am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - The contest for the Sungai Bakap state seat will see a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional.

EC’s returning officer Khairulnizam Hashim confirms that Harapan’s Joohari Ariffin will face PN’s Abidin Ismail.

Both candidates stood side by side as they were being named as the first and second candidates.

As both names were announced by Khairulnizam, supporters from both sides chanted their candidates’ names.

Harapan, PN leaders share light moment

9:53am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - In a moment of temporary truce, top guns from both Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional shake hands and exchange laughs at the Sungai Bakap by-election nomination centre.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, party secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan and Bersatu vice-president Mohd Radzi Jidin visited their rival camp as they engaged in small talk and even took pictures together.

EC’s returning officer Syamsul Fitry Ahmad announced that nomination closed at 10am and that he would issue the official candidates’ list at 11am.

Candidates enjoy breakfast together

9:30am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - Both candidates from Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional share a meal as they head their way into a straight fight for the next two weeks for the Sungai Bakap seat.

PKR’s Joohari Ariffin and PAS’ Abidin Ismail, accompanied by their proposers and seconders, enjoyed a hearty breakfast and engaged in small talk.

The nomination centre is now open and is expected to close by 10am as announced by EC’s returning officer this morning.

Tok Mat, Saifuddin join supporters

8:45am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - More than 1,000 Pakatan Harapan supporters throng the streets of Jalan Serindit since 6:30am today.

The crowd, mostly clad in red, marched about 200m from the Umno Jawi division building to the nomination centre.

Leading the pack was the PKR candidate, Joohari Ariffin, accompanied by the government’s top guns including Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan.

On the Perikatan Nasional’s side, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang joins throngs of supporters marching to the gate of the nomination centre, chanting "God is Great".

Harapan-BN supporters come together

8.30am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - Thousands of Pakatan Harapan-BN and Perikatan Nasional supporters gather as early as 8am to support their respective candidates at the nomination centre in Dewan Serbaguna Jawi.

The centre will be opened at 9am to kickstart the nomination process for the Sungai Bakap by-election.

Nomination begins at 9am

8am: Jawi, Nibong Tebal - The Sungai Bakap by-election nomination will start at 9am, with the aspiring candidates making their way to the Jawi Multipurpose Hall, Taman Desa Jawi.

Aspirants will be given an hour to submit their nomination forms.

According to Bernama, returning officer Khairulnizam Hashim is expected to announce the candidates eligible to contest at about 11am.

Pakatan Harapan had announced the former director of the northern branch of the Aminuddin Baki Institute, Joohari Ariffin as their candidate.

As for Perikatan Nasional, they selected Abidin Ismail, the former special officer to the previous Sungai Bakap assemblyperson, the late Nor Zamri Latiff, as their candidate.

The electoral roll for Sungai Bakap contains 39,279 voters - consisting of 39,222 regular voters and 57 police officers.

Cops to monitor those playing up 3R issues in Sg Bakap polls

BN names Zambry as Sg Bakap election director

PAS veep sarcastically lauds 'coincidental' goodies in Sg Bakap

Fadhlina: Harapan has good chance of winning Sg Bakap by-election

LETTER | Sg Bakap polls: Wrong is wrong, don't 'play dirty'

Sg Bakap polls: Penang cops identify hotspots