KINABATANGAN, Jan 24 — All 36 polling centres for the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election have been closed today, with 11 of them closing at 5.30 pm.
The 11 polling centres that closed at 5.30 pm are SK Buang Sayang, SK Bukit Garam, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bukit Garam, SMK Bukit Garam II, SK Bukit Garam II, SK Kota Kinabatangan, SK Rancangan Suan Lamba, Kampung Gomantong Jaya Multipurpose Hall, SK Paris, SMK Paris and SK Sukau.
The closure of all polling centres was carried out in stages, with Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Inarad and SK Sri Ganda the earliest to close at noon.
This was followed by SK Kuamut, SK Masaum, SK Sangau, SK Tundun Bohangin, SK Litang and SK Ladang Tomanggong at 1 pm; SK Keramuak, SK Sungai Lokan, Kampung Balat Kinabatangan Multipurpose Hall, SK Bilit and SK Abai at 2 pm; and SK Penangah, SK Minusuh, SK Saguon, SK Tanjong Aru, SK Tanjong Batu and SK Mumiang at 3 pm.
The SK Pulau Lubukan polling centre closed at 4 pm, while SK Menanam, SK Sogo-Sogo, SMK Entilibon, SK Pekan Tongod and SK Batu Puteh closed at 5 pm.
Meanwhile, the last six polling centres for the Lamag state by-election - SK Buang Sayang, SK Bukit Garam, SMK Bukit Garam, SK Bukit Garam II, SMK Bukit Garam II and SK Kota Kinabatangan - closed at 5.30 pm.
Earlier, three of the nine polling stations for the Lamag state by-election closed early, with SK Sangau concluding voting at 1 pm and both SK Sungai Lokan and the Kampung Balat Kinabatangan Multipurpose Hall closing at 2 pm.
Voting for the areas’ parliamentary and state by-elections was carried out smoothly in good weather conditions, with no untoward incidents reported so far. Vote tallying is currently underway.
A total of 48,526 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, while 13,703 are registered voters for the Lamag state seat.
As of 3 pm, the Election Commission (EC) said that 50.37 per cent of voters had cast their votes in the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, while 55.16 per cent had cast their ballots in the Lamag state by-election.
A total of 1,106 EC staff, along with 926 police personnel, are involved in both by-elections.
The tallying of votes will take place at Dewan Sri Lamag and the official results are expected to be announced at 10 pm.
A total of 176 police personnel, representing 93 per cent of official early voters, cast their votes for both by-elections on Tuesday (Jan 20).
In Kinabatangan, it is a three-cornered contest between Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar, Warisan’s Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman and independent candidate Goldam Hamid.
Meanwhile, the Lamag seat is a straight fight between BN’s Mohd Ismail Ayob and Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek.
The by-elections are being held following the death of the former incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on Dec 5 last year. — Bernama
