ELECTION Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh has blamed the low voter turnout in the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections on poor weather. 

He said he hoped voter turnout would improve towards the evening. 

“So far, we have seen that most of the voters who went out to vote were from the older demographic. Perhaps young people may vote in the afternoon,” he told reporters after reviewing the voting process at SMK Taman Bukit Indah in Johor Baru. 

The EC has targeted a voter turnout rate of more than 70%. 

“So far, we have seen that most of the voters who went out to vote were on channels one, two, and three this morning. 

“Maybe, young people took some time by voting in the afternoon,” he was quoted as saying. 

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast rain in the morning and thunderstorms in the late evening for both constituencies. 

The EC has pegged voter turnout at 38% for the Pulai parliamentary by-election as of 3pm. 

Voter turnout for the Simpang Jeram state by-election was 51%. 

In Pulai, Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Suhaizan Kaiat, Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Zulkifli Jaafar, and Independent candidate Samsudin Mohaman Fauzi will square-off. 

In Simpang Jeram, Nazri Abdul Rahman (PH), Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya (PN) and Independent candidate S. Jeganathan will vie for the state seat. 

The by-election in Pulai and Simpang Jeram was triggered following the demise of its incumbent Salehuddin Ayub, who passed away on July 23. The 61-year-old died of a brain haemorrhage. – September 9, 2023.