TWENTY-SEVEN polling centres are open from 8am to 5.30pm today for voters in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency to vote for their elected representative.

Tg Piai has 52,471 registered voters who are expected to exercise their rights in today’s by-election, which was called following the death of the MP Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, of Pakatan Harapan (PH), in September.

The by-election is a six-cornered contest between PH candidate Karmaine Sardini, Wee Jeck Seng (Barisan Nasional), Wendy Subramaniam (Gerakan), Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah-Berjasa) and two Independent candidates, Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

The by-election is the ninth since the last general election in May last year.

Of the 27 polling centres, 11 are in the Pekan Nanas state constituency. They are in SK Parit Kudus, SK Tanjong Ayer Hitam, SK Parit Haji Adnan, SK Melayu Raya, SK Kampong Sawah, SK Seri Bunian, SK Pengkalan Raja, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dato’ Mohd Yunos Sulaiman, SMK Pekan Nanas, SK Pekan Nanas and SJKC Yung Ming 1 and 2. 

The remaining 16 polling centres are in the Kukup state constituency, in SK Jeram Batu, SJKC Bin Chong, SJKC Cheow Min, SK Rimba Terjun, SK Sungai Bunyi, SK Rambah, SK Parit Rambai, SK Belokok, SK Telok Kerang, SK Penerok, SK Sungai Boh and SJKC Pei Chao, SMK Sri Kukup, SK Sungai Durian, SK Serkat and SK Andek Mori.

Karmaine is expected to cast his vote at SK Telok Kerang and Wee, at SJKC Yu Ming 1 and 2. The other four candidates are not registered voters in Tanjung Piai.

Last Tuesday, 91% of the 280 early voters, comprising police personnel, cast their votes at the Perkep building of the Pontian district police headquarters.

The Election Commission has mobilised 1,019 of its personnel to ensure smooth polling while the police are deploying 1,341 of their personnel to maintain public order and control traffic.

The EC is targeting a 70% voter turnout. Official results are expected to be in by 10pm.

The ballots will be tallied at Dewan Jubli Intan Sultan Ibrahim in Pontian.

The Meteorology Department weather forecast said it is expected to be cloudy today with temperatures of 23-27°Celsius in the morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon with temperatures of 25-28°Celsius. – Bernama, November 16, 2019.