A TOTAL of 16,383 registered voters in Pelangai will go to the polls today to elect their new state assemblyman.

At 8am, nine polling centres with a total of 30 polling streams opened and will stay open until 6pm.

Three of the centres – SMK Chemomoi, SK Kemasul and SK Sungai Kemahal – are in the Felda areas, while the other six centres are SJKC Telemong, SMK Seri Pelangai, SK Pelangai, SJKC Manchis, Dewan Serbaguna Sungai Gapoi and Balai Raya Kampung Sungai Perdak. 

The Election Commission has elected 312 officers to be on duty for the voting process.

At the close of polling, all ballot boxes will be taken to the Felda Kemasul community hall, where the counting of votes will take place.

The weather in Bentong district is forecast to be good today, while thunderstorms are expected in the evening, the Malaysian Meteorological Department said.

A total of 16,456 electors are eligible to vote in the by-election, including 36 policemen and three overseas absentee voters.

There was no early voting on the scheduled date of October 3, as the Election Commission had issued postal ballots to all 73 postal voters for the by-election.

The Pelangai by-election is seeing a three-cornered fight among Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Amizar Abu Adam, Kasim Samat of Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni.

The by-election is being called for following the death of its incumbent Johari Harun in a plane crash in Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor, on August 17.

In the 15th general election, BN’s Johari won with a majority of 4,048 votes, defeating Kasim, Ahmed Wafiuddin of Pakatan Harapan, and Pejuang candidate Isa Ahmad.

The Pelangai by-election is the fourth being held after last year’s general election.

The first three by-elections were held for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat on August 12, and for the Pulai parliamentary seat and Simpang Jeram state seat, which took place simultaneously on September 9. – Bernama, October 7, 2023.