IN JOHOR TWIN BY-ELECTIONS, IT’S ‘YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE’ – WITH RAIN & LOOMING THUNDERSTORMS THE LATEST WILDCARDS AFFECTING OUTCOME – WILL PAKATAN-UMNO OR BERSATU-PAS WIN AT PULAI & SIMPANG JERAM? – AS OF NOON, TURNOUT ONLY 24% & THAT DOESN’T BODE WELL FOR ANWAR’S UNITY GOVT
Voter turnout crosses 24% mark in Pulai as of noon
Meanwhile, the Election Commission says the voter turnout for the Simpang Jeram by-election is at 33%.
PETALING JAYA: As of noon, the number of people who came out to vote in the Pulai parliamentary seat by-election has crossed the 24% mark, the Election Commission (EC) reported.
Meanwhile, the voter turnout for the Simpang Jeram state seat by-election stood at 33%.
Based on the latest data released by the EC yesterday, Pulai has 165,509 eligible voters while Simpang Jeram has 40,301.
That puts the number of voters who have gone to the polls in Pulai so far at just under 40,000 while in Simpang Jeram, some 13,300 voters have carried out their civic duty.
Salahuddin, who was Amanah deputy president, died on July 23 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
Both by-elections are three-cornered contests between Pakatan Harapan (PH), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and independent candidates.
All polling stations are scheduled to close at 6pm. FMT
Rain threatens to dampen voting in Pulai
This was after the first hour after polls opened saw record turnout from senior voters at SK Seri Melati, Tampoi.
Pakatan Harapan’s Pulai candidate Suhaizan Kaiat arrived at the polling centre around 9am, where he cast his ballot with his wife, Dr Norsham Idris.
The candidate who is number 3 on the candidate list voted in the third voting stream.
“We hope to achieve a turnout rate of 70 percent and above. The weather is gloomy so it’s best for people to come out now,” he said.
“More rain is forecasted in the evening so come out now,” Suhaizan told supporters outside the voting centre.
Clearer skies greeted the initial morning voters. Many are made up of senior citizens accompanied by their friends, children, or spouses.
Election Commission staff were quick to offer wheelchairs to those in need as there’s an incline leading into the school from its main gate.
There are 47 polling centres in Pulai with 165,509 voters.
Suhaizan is up against Perikatan Nasional’s Zulkifli Jaafar and independent candidate Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi, who are not Pulai voters.
The Election Commission is reporting a voter turnout of 13 percent at Pulai as of 10am. MKINI
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