BENTONG – A total of 16,383 registered voters in Pelangai will go to the polls today to elect their new state assemblyman.
Nine polling centres with a total of 30 polling streams will be opened from 8am to 6pm, after which all ballot boxes will be taken to the official vote-tallying centre at Felda Kemasul community hall, where the votes will be counted.
Three of the centres, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Chemomoi, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kemasul, and SK Sg Kemahal, are in the Felda areas.
The other six centres are Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Telemong, SMK Seri Pelangai, SK Pelangai, SKJC Manchis, Dewan Serbaguna Sg Gapoi, and Balai Raya Kg Sg Perdak.
The Election Commission has elected 312 officers to be on duty for the voting process, which will involve 16,383 registered electors.
The weather in the Bentong district is expected to be pleasant in the morning, followed by thunderstorms in the evening, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.
No early voting centre was opened for the by-election despite October 3 being gazetted as the early voting day, as the Election Commission had issued postal vote ballots to all 73 postal voters for the Pelangai by-election.
The Pelangai by-election is being contested by Datuk Amizar Abu Adam of Barisan Nasional (BN), Kasim Samat of Perikatan Nasional (PN), and independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni.
The by-election is being called for following the death of its incumbent Datuk Seri Johari Harun in a plane crash in Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor, on August 17.
In the 15th general election (GE15), Johari from BN won with a majority of 4,048 votes, defeating Kasim (PN), Ahmed Wafiuddin of Pakatan Harapan, and Pejuang candidate Isa Ahmad.
The by-election for the Pelangai state seat is the fourth by-election being held after GE15 on November 19 last year.
The first three by-elections were held for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat on August 12 and for the Pulai parliamentary seat and Simpang Jeram state seat, which took place simultaneously on September 9. – October 7, 2023