KOTA BARU, March 22 — Voting proceeded smoothly in the Chempaka state by-election today, with women and the elderly coming out to exercise their right in the morning. 

The nine polling centres opened at 8 am and, according to an Elections Commission spokesman, 3,983 or 19.53 per cent of the 20,390 voters had cast their ballots by 10 am. 

The by-election is a five-cornered contest among PAS candidate Ahmad Fathan Mahmood alias Mahamad, 42, and four independent candidates, namely 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. 

Fathan and his wife, Azizah Hanim Mohd Daud, voted at the polling centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pengkalan Chepa at 8.10 am. All the independent candidates are not voters in the constituency. 

The fine weather has made it easier for the voters to exercise their right.

Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob and Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah visited some of the polling centres, all of which were monitored by policemen who also helped to guide traffic. 

The by-election has been necessitated by the death of the assemblyman, PAS spiritual leader and former Kelantan menteri besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, 84, on Feb 12.  

The Barisan Nasional has opted out of the by-election, choosing to focus instead on the massive rehabilitation work after Kelantan was hit by extraordinary floods in December last year. 

The Elections Commission expects the official result of the by-election to be announced at about 8pm. — Bernama