36 polling centres open in Sabah for Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections, with results expected by 10 pm tonight.
KINABATANGAN: Thirty-six polling centres with 117 streams opened simultaneously at 7.30 am today for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections.
The Election Commission stated that two centres will close at noon, with the remaining 34 closing in stages from 1 pm to 5.30 pm.
A total of 48,282 voters will cast ballots to choose a new Kinabatangan MP and a new Lamag assemblyman.
Vote tallying will occur at Dewan Sri Lamag, with official results expected by 10 pm.
The EC added that 1,106 commission staff and 926 police officers are involved in managing both by-elections.
It noted that 176 police personnel, representing 93% of official early voters, cast their ballots this past Tuesday.
Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar of Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman of Warisan, and independent candidate Goldam Hamid are contesting the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat.
For the Lamag state seat, Mohd Ismail Ayob (BN) is competing against Mazliwati Abdul Malek (Warisan).
All five candidates will vote today at their respective designated polling stations.
The by-elections were triggered by the death of the incumbent for both seats, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on December 5 last year.
Bung Moktar had won the Kinabatangan seat in the 15th general election with a 4,330-vote majority.
He secured the Lamag seat during the Sabah state election on November 29 with a majority of 153 votes.
