KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 ― A complaint has been filed with the Election Commission (EC) against Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) for allegedly canvassing outside four polling centres in the Semenyih by-election this morning after the campaign period had ended.

Malaysiakini reported that Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) campaign director S. Arutchelvan had filed the complaint and had also submitted photos as evidence.

"If appears that EC is toothless just like during the time of BN,” he said in the report, adding: "PSM believes in free, fair and clean elections. But what is happening today is totally disappointing and EC is helpless. This is against the spirit of new Malaysia.”

PSM’s candidate Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul is facing PH’s Muhammad Aiman Zainali, BN’s Zakaria Hanafi and Independent, Kuan Chee Heng in the by-election.

The seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent assemblyman, Bakhtiar Mohd Nor, 57, from PH, on January 11 due to a heart attack.

A total of 53,411 ordinary voters are eligible to vote in the by-election which commenced at 8am and ends at 5.30pm.