GUA MUSANG – Voter turnout for the Nenggiri by-election has hit 71.87% as of 4pm, higher than the turnout in the state election in August last year.
The turnout last year was 61.09%.
The Election Commission (EC) announced the latest turnout about two hours before polling closes at 6pm today.
There are 20,216 ordinary voters in Nenggiri out of 20,259 registered voters.
Four of the 20 polling centres for the by-election closed at 2pm today, due to the smaller number of voters there. Two other polling stations closed at 3pm.
Results, which will be announced at the vote tallying centre at the Gua Musang District Council building, are expected at 9pm the earliest.
Meanwhile, police here said they have received 18 reports and opened six investigation papers related to the by-election. They are investigating the cases under the Election Offences Act, 1954, the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun also said there was a minor altercation between party supporters at the Sg Asap polling centre this morning, but other than that, voting today had proceeded smoothly, Bernama reported him saying.
The Nenggiri by-election was called following the vacancy of the seat, as announced by Kelantan Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah on June 19, after the former incumbent Mohd Azizi Abu Naim lost his Bersatu membership on June 13.
In the state elections in August last year, Azizi, who contested using a PAS logo, defeated Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Ab Aziz Yusoff with a majority of 810 votes.
This by-election is a straight fight between Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani from Umno-BN, representing the unity government, and PAS candidate Mohd Rizwadi Ismail representing Perikatan Nasional. – August 17, 2024