Kuala Kangsar by-election: Percentage of turnout below target

The percentage of voter turnout for the Kuala Kangsar Parliamentary by-election when all the 23 polling centres were closed at 5pm sharp was 71 per cent.

Returning Officer for the Kuala Kangsar by-election, Mior Muhammad Jamil Mior Zakaria said the percentage encompassed the ordinary voters as well as early voters, who had discharged their responsibilities on June 14.

He said there were 32,949 registered voters eligible to cast their votes for the Kuala Kangsar by-election comprising 32,632 ordinary voters, 312 (early voters) and five absentee voters who were abroad.

"The ballot papers of absentee voters received would be counted at the official vote tallying centre at the Perak Jubilee Hall," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Mior Muhammad Jamil said the percentage of voter turnout at 71 per cent was lower than the 75 per cent targeted by the Election Commission (EC) for the Kuala Kangsar by-election.

"The lower percentage may be due to the fact that many outside voters did not come back to cast their ballots as it is now the (fasting) month of Ramadan," he said.

During the 13th General Election, the percentage of voter turnout for the Kuala Kangsar Parliamentary constituency was 84.3 per cent.

The Kuala Kangsar Parliamentary by-election was held following the death of the incumbent Member of Parliament Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau, Sarawak last May 5.

The by-election involved a four-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datin Mastura Mohd Yazid, Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad (PAS), Prof Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli (Parti Amanah Negara) and Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary (Bebas).

It was held simultaneously with the Parliamentary by-election for Sungai Besar, Selangor following the death of its incumbent Tan Sri Noriah Kasnon in the same helicopter crash.