K.Kangsar by-election: 23 polling centres open at 8am

A total of 23 polling centres, with 69 polling streams, opened at 8am today for Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-election.

Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hisham Abdullah said a total of 32,632 of the 32,949 voters were eligible to vote today to choose their elected representative.

Of the remainder, 312 were early voters, who voted on June 14, while five others were absentee voters who were overseas, he said.

Mohd Hisham said all polling stations, at 21 schools and two community halls, will close at 5pm.

"The counting of votes will be conducted at the polling stations after the voting process ends and vote-tallying will be done at the Silver Jubilee Hall," he said.

He said the EC was targeting a 75 per cent voter turnout and the result was expected to be announced at about 9pm.

In the general election in 2013, the voter turnout in Kuala Kangsar was 84.3 per cent.

Mohd Hisham advised voters against handing over their identity cards to people other than EC workers to prevent their misuse.

The Kuala Kangsar by-election is being held following the death of the MP, Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, in a helicopter crash in Sarawak on May 5.

It is a four-cornered fight among Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar's widow Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid (of the BN), Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad (PAS), Prof Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli (Amanah) and Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary (Independent).