KOTA BARU, March 22 — Polling opened at 8am today at nine schools used as polling centres in the Chempaka state by-election to enable 20,390 voters to cast their ballots. 

The schools are Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pulau Gajah; SK Sabak; SK Parang Puting; SK Kem; SK Che Deris; SK Seri Chempaka; Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Badang; SMK Pengkalan Chepa and Sekolah Menengah Agama Tengku Amalin A’ishah Putri Chempaka. 

The polling centres will close at 5 pm. 

The by-election is a five-cornered contest among a PAS candidate Ahmad Fathan Mahmood alias Mahamad, 42, who is the Ulama Affairs chief in the constituency, and four independent candidates. 

The independent candidates are former lecturer Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, 48; former Kelantan Perkasa vice-president Sharif Mahmood, 59; Pertubuhan Keturunan Paduka Raja Cik Siti Wan Kembang president Fadzillah Hussin, 55, and businessman Aslah Mamat, 64.  — Bernama