Voter turnout nears 48pct at 4pm- EC

Some 61,274 voters eligible to cast their ballots will head to polling centres to elect their new representative in the Mahkota by-election today.

At 8am, 20 polling stations with 109 channels will open for the voting process and close simultaneously at 6pm.

The Election Commission issued 607 postal ballot papers on Sept 15.

Early voting for the by-election was held on Tuesday (Sept 24) for 4,437 voters consisting of military personnel and their spouses, as well as police personnel at three early voting centres.

There are 66,318 voters in the Mahkota state constituency with 56 percent of them Malays, Chinese (34 percent), and Indian (eight percent).

The by-election is a straight fight between BN candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah and Perikatan Nasional’s Mohamad Haizan Jaafar.

The Mahkota by-election was called following the death of its incumbent, Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, on Aug 2.

Thank you for following our live updates. Join us for our live coverage of the election results here.

Rain starts as polling closes

6pm: Due to heavy downpour, the gate slides shut at SMK Seri Perdana to signal that polling has ended for the by-election.

Voters were redirected to the school’s side entrance, which provided more shade.

The polling process began at 8am, which saw trickles of voters turning up at polling centres all across Mahkota.

At 4pm, the Election Commission said in its final update that the turnout rate was 47.16 percent.

There were concerns expressed earlier that turnout would be low, partly as a by-election trend and partly as a response from Chinese voters to the spat between Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh and DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok.

Over 47pct turned up to vote, EC says

4.30pm: The Election Commission (EC) announces that as of 4pm, 47.16 percent of the 61,274 eligible voters have cast their ballots in the by-election.

Voting at the 20 polling centres, which opened at 8am with 109 channels, will continue until 6pm. The voter turnout percentage reported at 4pm is the last update until the full figures are released later tonight.

EC chairperson Ramlan Harun states that they are aiming for a voter turnout of more than 60 percent.

As forecasted by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), light rain began in Kluang around 4.20pm, following clear weather in the morning.

Once the voting concludes, counting will take place at each polling centre, followed by the tallying of votes at the Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Hall. Results are expected as early as 9pm.

‘Returning home to vote’

4.30pm: Tee Ley Hoe, a 30-year-old voter working in Singapore, returned home last night to vote under the "Free Carpooling to Vote" initiative.

He departed from Singapore at 9pm yesterday and arrived in Mahkota, Kluang at 11:30pm. He voted at 11am today at SMK Seri Perdana.

A second-time voter, Tee says he took leave for this and will be returning to work on Monday.

Asked why he was willing to take leave, Tee said, "To help Malaysia, to help Kluang,” he said in an interview at the government’s campaign centre earlier today.

He mentioned that two weeks ago while hiking at Gunung Lambak in Kluang, he coincidentally met Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi and learned about the by-election.

Asked if he had researched the BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidates beforehand, he says, "I only know him (Syed Hussien), but not him (Haizan)."

Sheikh Umar lodges police report

3.15pm: Johor DAP deputy chairperson Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali lodges a police report at the Kluang district police headquarters.

He is accompanied by DAP member Koh Chia Heng (above, right).

Sheikh Umar’s report claims PN is campaigning on polling day after he received a call this morning asking him to vote as he is a registered voter in Mahkota.

The caller, a woman, asked him to support PN.

Voter turnout nears 45pct at 3pm - EC

3.10pm: Election Commission says as of 3pm, 43.44 percent of the 61,274 voters in Mahkota have cast their ballots.

The weather in Kluang remains favourable, although the Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasts rain in the afternoon.

Once the voting process concludes at 6pm, ballot counting will be conducted at the respective polling centres, followed by the vote tallying process at Dewan Tunku Ibrahim Ismail, with results expected as early as 9pm.

DAP leader says he received call asking him to vote PN

1.30pm: Johor DAP deputy chairperson Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali says that as a voter in Mahkota, he received a call this morning asking him to vote.

He believes that since the campaign period has ended, this act has violated election laws.

He says at a press conference that the caller was a woman who initially asked if he had voted and then encouraged him to go out immediately to vote and to support Perikatan Nasional.

Sheikh Umar says when he asked why he should support PN, the woman responded, “If you vote for BN, the country will be controlled by the Chinese.”

He notes that the caller also said even though Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim leads the federal government, the administration is still under the control of the Chinese.

Then when he told the caller that Gerakan was part of PN, the woman responded, “Even with Gerakan, PN is not controlled by the Chinese.”

Sheikh Omar then strongly condemns PN for using racial narratives in its campaign.

“In my view, this is a violation of election laws, as the campaign period ended last night, but they are still continuing their campaign...

“What we condemn the most is that they are using narrow racial narratives, which shows that PN is still employing divisive racial and religious rhetoric to attract votes in the Mahkota by-election.”

He adds that he would instruct grassroots members to lodge a police report.

‘My mum-in-law has always voted’

12.45pm: Jalan Dato Teoh Siew Khor - Housewife Usharani is not a Mahkota voter, but she has brought her 68-year-old mother-in-law, Kaliamah Thinean, to cast her ballot at SJK(C) Chong Eng.

The 42-year-old says Kaliamah, who has auditory and vision difficulties, has always voted.

“My mum-in-law regards it as her duty and responsibility as a Malaysian,” Usharani tells Malaysiakini.

Voter turnout nearly 30pct at noon - EC

12.40pm: Voter turnout at the Mahkota by-election stands at 29.08 percent as of noon today, the Election Commission announces.

EC chairperson Ramlan Harun says the by-election’s results are expected to be known as early as 9pm tonight.

This, he says, is based on the proximity of the polling centres and smooth voting process, which will allow for quicker results.

“In Kluang, the logistics are quite simple and everything is close by, with the polling stations also located near the town, so we are expecting the results as early as 9pm,” Bernama quotes Ramlan as telling reporters after observing the voting process at the Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim polling centre in Kluang.

Asked about the expected voter turnout, Ramlan says the EC anticipates over 60 percent, compared to the 57 percent turnout in the last election.

Provocative banners appear in the wee hours

12.10pm: Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan says he received complaints this morning from residents in BN stronghold districts regarding provocative banners hung in the area to mislead voters.

“This morning, we received many reports from constituents about provocative banners. We are certain that this was not done by us (BN), but by irresponsible parties,” he says.

Ahmad suspects the banners were put up around 3am or 4am and they have since been taken down.

He reveals this development at a press conference today at the Unity Government Campaign Centre alongside Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi and Johor DAP deputy chairperson Sheikh Omar.

According to the Pontian MP, the banners were in Bahasa Melayu and Chinese.

The Malay banners carried the message, “Congratulations Syed Hussien for successfully securing the Kluang Umno division chief position” and featured images of BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, and BN candidate for the Mahkota by-election Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah.

The current Kluang Umno division chief is Mohamad Jais Sarday, while Syed Hussien is Kluang Umno Youth chief.

The Chinese banners read, “The federal and state governments will not change. This by-election is to teach arrogant Umno a lesson. Come out and vote. Reject Umno/BN.”

Ahmad notes that by conservative estimates, the banners appeared in all voting districts in Mahkota. He says Umno grassroots members will be instructed to lodge police reports.

He adds that the banners violated election laws as they did not display the names of printers and publishers.

Ahmad has urged voters not to be swayed by these incidents.

PN candidate checks out other polling centres

11.08am: Jalan Dato Teoh Siew Khor - PN’s Mohamad Haizan Jaafar arrives at the SJK(C) Chong Eng polling station.

He is accompanied by two men on his survey of polling centres.

The Chinese school is the polling station for Bandar Tengah, a Chinese-majority district within the Mahkota state constituency.

Before leaving the SJK(C) Chong Eng at 11.25am, Haizan is stopped by a mother and her son.

The pair, who have just voted and are on their way out, ask Haizan to pose in photos with them.

He obliges with a large smile.

PN’s Haizan arrives alone to vote

10.20am: Jalan Penghulu Kassim - PN candidate Mohamad Haizan Jaafar casts his vote at the SK Kampung Melayu polling centre at 10.10am.

He is not accompanied by anyone.

While waiting in line to cast his vote, he meets an old friend, who asks to take a picture with him.

After voting, he tells the media that he is late today as he has to visit his mother-in-law in Simpang Renggam.

He had originally planned to vote at 8am.

“I hope that God willing, if God wishes it so, I will win,” he says.

EC deputy chair surveys scene

9:55am: Jalan Penghulu Kassim - Election Commission deputy chairperson Azmi Sharom arrives at the SK Kampung Melayu polling station.

Accompanied by EC officials, he is seen speaking to a voter and her young son.

He teases the young boy over his name, Ali, saying that such a short name is good for filling up exam forms.

Orang Asli folk among earliest

9.33am: Around 8.89 percent of electors have come out to cast their ballots as of 9am, according to Election Commission data.

Bernama reported that Orang Asli voters are among those who came out early to carry out their responsibility at the ballot box.

Kampung Tanah Runtuh Orang Asli tok batin (village leader) Mohd Noorsham Abdullah, 49, said he woke up as early as 6am to convince the villagers to vote.

“We came in a group of 15. The journey (to the voting centre) only took us about five minutes.

“We were waiting outside the polling centre as early as 7am. We didn’t want to be left out in choosing the best representative for us,” he says when met at the SMK Sultan Abdul Jalil polling centre in Kluang.

BN’s Syed Hussien casts his vote

8.55am: Jalan Nyior - BN candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah arrives at SMK Seri Perdana.

Donning a blue shirt, the Kluang Umno Youth chief, 40, waves to the public before heading in to drop his ballot.

He talks to a 19-year-old mother carrying a baby. She says it is her first time voting in an election.

After voting, Syed Hussien speaks to the media and encourages Mahkota folk to go out and vote.

“Today we see the polling centres all open and the situation is under control. We can see people from all walks of life come out to fulfil their responsibility.

“Voters in N29, wherever you are, remember today is the day to decide for the future of all of us,” he says.

Johor MB lends his support

8am: Jalan Nyior - Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi arrives at SMK Seri Perdana.

He is seen helping a man push a woman in a wheelchair towards the polling centre.

He leaves immediately after telling the woman that he can only push her as far as the school gates.

Bright and early

7.50am: Jalan Nyior - Kong Ah Mui, 61, walks 15 minutes from her home to the polling centre at SMK Seri Perdana to cast her vote early this morning.

The housewife has six children but cannot confirm if they will return home to vote.

Her children need to work to help her and her husband, who are not employed, she explains.

“I came here early because my husband needs someone to take care of him so I’ll be returning home after this,” she tells Malaysiakini.

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