BENTONG – The turnout among young voters in the Pelangai state by-election at 11am was encouraging, said Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh.
He said that this is a positive development in comparison to previous by-elections.
“We can see that voters are arriving early and queuing in long lines. In the past, young voters often came a little later.
“This shows that young people’s enthusiasm has changed,” he told reporters today after visiting a polling station at Sekolah Menengah Felda Chemomoi.
Ghani, meanwhile, expressed confidence that turnout will reach the target of 70% when voting ends at 6pm.
“Insya Allah, the weather does not seem too hot. I am calling on all voters to exercise their rights for the duration we have proposed,” he said.
The Pelangai by-election is seeing a three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Amizar Abu Adam, Kasim Samat of Perikatan Nasional, and independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni.
The by-election for the Pelangai state seat is the fourth being held after the 15th general election on November 19 last year.
The first three by-elections held were 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