Pengkalan Kubor by-election: 11 polling centres open at 8 am

Eleven polling centres opened at 8 am Thursday to enable 23,929 voters to cast their ballots in the Pengkalan Kubor state by-election. The centres will close at 5 pm. The tallying of votes will begin at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato' Biji Wangsa here soon after the polling centres close. A total of 103 of 109 voters, or 96.3 per cent, cast their ballots on Sept 21 when early voting was held, at the Dewan Delima of the Tumpat District Police headquarters. For polling today, 45 streams have been made available at the 11 centres, namely Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Kubor 1, Sekolah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Kubor 2, Sekolah Menengah Ugama (A) Meheliah Geting, Sekolah Kebangsaan Geting (1). Sekolah Kebangsaan Simpangan, Tumpat Mara Junior Science College, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bunohan, Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Neting, Sekolah Kebangsaan Bendang Pa' Yong, Sekolah Kebangsaan Teluk Jering and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Geting. Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said yesterday the EC expected a voter turnout of 70 per cent today, less than the 80 per cent recorded during the 13th general election held last year. He said he expected the results of the by-election to be announced at about 9 pm. The Meteorological Services Department has forecast rain in the late afternoon in Pengkalan Kubor, and its director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail has advised voters to go out to exercise their right in the morning. The by-election is a three-cornered contest among Mat Razi Mat Ail (rpt) Ail of the BN, Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim of PAS and independent Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary. It is being held following the death of the three-term assemblyman, Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar of the BN, on Aug 20. Noor Zahidi had retained the seat in the general election held last year with a majority of 1,736 votes, beating Saharun Ibrahim of PKR and Izat Bukhary. PKR has allowed PAS to contest its seat in this by-election.