Early voting in Sungai Besar by-election closes at 5pm

Early voting in the Sungai Besar parliamentary by-election closed at 5pm today.

The polling centres were opened since 8am.

An Election Commission (EC) spokesman said the polling centre at Training/Sports Branch Room of Sabak Bernam District Police Headquarters (Sungai Panjang state constituency) closed at 5pm.

However, the polling centre at Training/Sports Branch Room 1 of Sabak Bernam District Police Headquarters (Sekinchan state constituency closed much earlier, at 2pm.

As of 4 pm, 92 per cent of 286 early voters in Sungai Besar parliamentary constituency had cast their votes.

A total of 265 early voters were registered in Sungai Panjang state constituency while 21 early voters were registered in Sekinchan state constituency.

The early voting was witnessed by agents of the contesting candidates and local observers from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) appointed by the EC.

The ballot boxes for early voting will be kept in Sekinchan police station lock-up and the counting will take place on polling day (June 18).

Sungai Besar by-election is a three-cornered fight between Budiman Mohd Zohdi (BN), Dr Abdul Rani Osman (PAS) and Azhar Abdul Shukur (Amanah).

It is held following the death of Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak on May 5.

Noriah (BN) beat Mohamed Salleh M Husin (PAS) to win the seat by a 399 vote majority in the 13th general election.

Sungai Besar parliamentary constituency has 42,655 ordinary voters who will cast their votes on June 18.