Polling: 8am to 5pm

Vote count: 5pm onwards

Results: By 8pm

Photo galleries: Batu Sapi l Galas

8am: (Batu Sapi) It's clear skies in Batu Sapi as voters start trickling in at the 12 polling centres under the parliamentary constituency in Sandakan, Sabah.

According to the weather forecast, rain expected in the afternoon.

Rush-hour traffic hits parts of Batu Sapi such as in front of the SMK Agama polling centre in Taman Mawar, as early voters swell the ranks of road users moving about this bright Thursday morning.

Batu Sapi will see a three-way fight among BN's Linda Tsen Thau Lin, SAPP's Yong Teck Lee and  PKR's Ansari Abdullah.

Out of the 12 polling stations, two will close early - one at 3pm, the other at 4pm - due to the small number of voters in those areas. The the rest are to close at 5pm.

Eleven schools have been turned into polling stations, while the remaining one is the district library.

There are 25,582 registered voters in Batu Sapi, and about 20,000 are expected to cast their votes today should the turnout be around 80 percent.

Four of the 12 polling stations are Chinese-majority while the rest are Muslim bumiputera-majority.

8.02am: (Galas) The weather is clear in Galas with a slight overcast, with no rain this morning despite the steady downpour last night, though the overcast and streaks of grey in the clouds may spell rain later in the day.

At the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra polling station in the PAS stronghold of Sg Terah,  PAS candidate Dr Zulkefli Mohamad arrives with Kelantan MB Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Zulkefli is facing BN-Umno candidate Abdul Aziz Yusof for this state seat. While Galas is an Umno stronghold, PAS was able to wrest it in the 2008 general elections and Zulkefli is seeking to ensure that  it remains with the Islamic party.

This by-election will make no difference to PAS' control of the state assemby. It captured 38 of the 45 state seats in Kelantan, while ally PKR won one and Umno, six.

There are 11,553 registered voters, and should the turnout be around 80 percent, a total of 9,000 are expected to vote today.

PAS is banking on a high voters turnout for victory and it hopes for many of the outstation voters to return to vote cast their ballots today. The PAS-control state has declared today a state holiday to ensure a high voters turnout.

There are 13 polling districts in Galas - six are Orang Asli-majority, three Chinese-majority and the rest, Malay-dominant areas.

Four Orang Asli-majority polling stations will close earlier due to their remote locations and their ballot boxes are to be ferried to the main tally centre in Gua Musang town by helicopters.

All the Orang Asli-majority polling stations are to close at 1pm while the voting will end in other polling stations at 5pm.

The three Chinese areas are Bandar Lama, Kg Baru Gua Musang and Pulai. Pulai is considered an MCA stronghold where Pakatan lost by 25 votes in last general elections.

8.15am: (Galas) At SK Gua Musang - one of the polling stations in Kampung Baru Gua Musang, some PAS supporters are seen wearing 'PAS for all' face mask, while Umno supporters carrying 'PAS Penipu' posters.

(Batu Sapi) In one of the biggest polling stations, SMK Agama Sandakan in Taman Mawar, a Chinese-majority area, only a small number of voters turned up so far. There is no queue at all.

There is not much excitement here as only about 20 BN campaigners from Puteri Umno and Gerakan are outside the polling station, sheltering under umbrellas from the hot sun.

No PKR campaigner could be spotted yet. In addition, gone are the political parties' 'pondok panas' which were a common feature in previous elections. Instead, there are two Election Commission's counters outside the polling station. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to visit soon.

8.25am: PAS candidate Zulkefli spends about 10 minutes walking around the Sg Terah polling station greeting voters, police officers and election staffers.

Zulkefli leaves the polling station - which is considered a PAS stronghold in this Malay-majority area - to the cries of 'takbir' and 'Allahu Akbar' from PAS supporters.

A commotion erupts between police and supporters of both sides as police and EC officials move to widen the distance between the two groups as per new EC regulations to avoid confrontation. But the shouting match receded after police called a representative from each group to measure the distance.

8.26am: (Batu Sapi) A woman wearing a Briged Muslimat vest kicks up a fuss over EC workers' refusal to allow Pakatan Rakyat party workers access into  the cordoned area of the SMK Agama polling centre at Taman Mawar.

She is heard complaining loudly of the EC workers' bias in allowing BN party workers in, but denying entry to Pakatan party workers.

8.35am: (Galas) PAS supporters greatly outnumber BN's in and around the main road leading to SK Sri Wangi polling station.

There are intermittent shouts of 'penimbang lama' (old scale) from the PAS camp, met with silence from the BN camp.

 A steady stream of voters  flow in and out of the Batu Papan polling station.

Meanwhile, some voters are spotted wearing 1Malaysia T-shirts in SK Gua Musang and SRJKC Gua Musang.

8.41am: (Galas) In the PAS stronghold of Sg Terah polling station, its 400 supporters outnumber the 50-odd BN supporters. The PAS crowd continue to swell and chant slogans, so much so anxious  police, in a contingent of the LSF (Light Strike Force) don their riot gear and form a shield cordon in front the crowd.

The BN supporters are a bit more subdued, cowed by the huge numbers of PAS supporters. Kelantan Umno chief Mustapha Mohamad was seen mingling with the BN crowd.

(Batu Sapi) SAPP president and Batu Sapi candidate Yong Teck Lee arrives at his first stop of the day at SMK Agama in Chinese-majority Taman Mawar.

Yong, like his rivals Linda Tsen Thau Lin from BN and PKR's Ansari Abdullah, are not registered to vote in Batu Sapi.

8.45am: (Galas) Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat and candidate Zulkefli spent about 10 minutes in SRJKC visiting the polling station.

Many of the PAS supporters grab the opportunity to take photos with Nik Aziz. Batu MP Tian Chua of PKR arrived about 5 minutes later and greeted Nik Aziz.

8.55am: (Batu Sapi) There is a massive traffic jam along Jalan Batu Sapi, the main road in the constituency due to congestions in front of polling stations and the mini buses deployed by all three contesting parties, which stop to drop voters at polling stations. The police are busy directing traffic at key junctions but are unable to ease the situation.

9.06am: (Batu Sapi) BN and Pakatan Rakyat supporters start chanting slogans as they wave flags and posters of candidates at passing cars along the road leading up to the SMK Agama polling centre in Chinese-majority Taman Mawar.

Shouts of "Hidup Rakyat!" by the smattering of PKR supporters were, however, drowned out by sheer force of numbers of BN's cheerleaders, who countered with "Hidup BN!" and "Siapa yang bawa pembangunan? BN!".

9.18am: (Galas) More than 100 voters have voted in SRJKC Gua Musang since the polling station more than an hour ago.

Meanwhile, a slight tension occurred near SK Gua Musang, which is situated in Bandar Lama Gua Musang (a mixed area), when some PAS supporters crossed the exclusion zone, angering Umno supporters.

The police are forced to use a Landrover to act as a buffer between the two groups after a lot of shoving and argument.

SK Gua Musang is considered a hot spot. About 600 supporters from both camps have gathered here since early morning, many carrying banners and flags. One side is shouting "Allahu Akhbar" and while the other, "1Malaysia".

9.24am: (Batu Sapi) Sapp president and Batu Sapi candidate Yong Teck Lee says he is optimistic of his chances in today's polls.

"It's going to be close, but I'm confident."

Yong criticises the sloganeering and flag-waving from BN and Pakatan Rakyat supporters.

"That is not the culture here. If voters are greeted by all this shouting, it would scare them," he said.

9.31am: (Galas) In Malay-majority Sg Terah polling centre, a tense atmosphere develops as BN supporters continue to attempt to breach the police security cordon. Angry PAS supporters shout them down as the police quickly move to eject the BN supporters to avoid any scuffle.

9.36am: (Batu Sapi) In SJK(C) Cheng Min and SK Bandar Sandakan, the two Chinese-majority polling stations are located side by side on a hill in Sandakan town. The turnout in these two areas is good as voters arrive non-stop in mini-buses which fetch them from the foothill to the two schools.

There are about 30 BN campaigners stationed at the foothill, while PKR supporters are a handful, and as such, no shouting match here.

9.47am: (Batu Sapi) According to the EC, the voter turnout for the first hour as at 9am: 14.68 percent (3,756 ballots cast).

(Galas) The voter turnout is on the low side. As at 9am, 9.93% or 1,147 have casted their votes (not including the six Orang Asli areas).

In Malay-majority Sg Terah, nearly 300 out of 1,912 voters have voted, according to polling centre overseeing officer Ahmad Faisal. He expects the turnout to hit 400 by 11am.

The skies above Galas continue to be overcast with rain clouds thickening. Rain may be imminent soon.

9.49am: (Galas) Kelantan Umno liaison chief Mustapa Mohamed concedes that voting has been a bit slow so far this morning.

"Well, we will have to see later," he says when met outside the SK Seri Wangi polling station.

"It looks like there are more PAS supporters here," observes Mustapa. According to him, the main road leading to the school is too narrow.

9.56am: (Batu Sapi) BN candidate Linda Tsen Thau Lin arrives at her first stop at SMK Agama at Chinese-majority Taman Mawar, accompanied by PBS vice-president Dr Yee Moh Chai and Sekong assemblyperson Samsudin Yahya.

She keeps a calm composure when approached by journalists. Tsen says she feels "encouraged" when asked about the voter turnout.

"This brings back memories when I used to accompany my late husband to visit polling stations," she said.

10.03am: (Galas) Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan makes an appearance in Malay-majority Sg Terah. He says that the situation is calm and only one incident of shoving was reported in SM Tengku Indera Putra.

"There were minor injuries to a BN supporter," he said.

However, he adds that no police report will be made as both sides made peace and shook hands following the fracas.

PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Md Isa is also at Sg Terah polling station. He run into Ahmad Maslan and both men exchange pleasantries.

"This is a friendly contest," says Ahmad Maslan, as he shakes hands with a beaming Nasharuddin.

(Batu Sapi) Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof arrives at SMK Agama in Taman Mawar in a luxury car convoy to check progress at the polling station.

10.15am: Voters have to walk about 300 metres up the hill to the Malay-majority SK Sri Wangi polling station from the main road.

Many of the old folks and a few pregnant women with children in tow, who are made to walk up to the school, can be heard complaining about the climb.

"Let's take a break first. It's a second gear climb from here," says a voter.

10.29am: (Batu Sapi) The voters turnout as at 10am is 23.05 percent, or 5,897 voters.

Meanwhile, voting in Galas has gathered pace. The voters turnout is now higher than Batu Sapi after a slow start in the first hour - as at 10am, the voters turnout in Galas is 24.02 percent (not including six Orang Asli areas).

10.24am: (Batu Sapi) Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, accompanied by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, visits the SMK Agama polling station.

He wraps up his lightning visit soon after and is scheduled to give a press conference at the Sandakan police headquarters at 1pm.

10.55am: (Galas) Kelantan MCA state chief Dr Ng Yen Yen says she is confident that it will be a victory for BN as the local people want development in Galas.

"They want development, and they hope the 1Malaysia concept will become a reality," Ng told reporters outside of SK Gua Musang in Bandar Lama Gua Musang, a Chinese and Malay mixed area.

(Batu Sapi) Light rain begins to fall at the SMK Agama polling centre, sending party supporters scampering for cover.

It stopped after 10 minutes, but storm clouds are seen closing in, indicating a heavy downpour on the way.

11.10am: (Batu Sapi) Yong Teck Lee arrives at SJK(C) Cheng Min polling centre and shakes hands with all EC workers and voters.

The former chief minister looks relaxed and cheerful.

On the turnout rate, Yong says 23 percent as at 10am is consider normal.

"A higher turnout rate will give me more advantage."

He said older voters turnout rate is higher than young voters so far.

Yong meets Sabah MCA chief Edward Khoo. The duo have a friendly chat in the Hakka dialect.

11.20am: (Galas) As at 11am, the voters turnout is 39.72 percent, or 4,589 voters (not including five Orang Asli areas, Sg Ber included).

(Batu Sapi) The voters turnout here is lower - as at 11am, it is 28.59 percent, or 7,313 voters.

11.27am: (Galas) The overcast skies has been broken up by a slight breeze, clearing the skies with blue patches beginning to appear. Rain clouds have mostly disappeared and the sun has reappeared. Fears of rain have dissipated. The skies are now patrolled by PDRM helicopters.

The situation at the Bandar Baru Gua Musang polling station is mostly quiet as  the blistering sun drives both sides to take cover.

PAS supporters, who outnumbered their rivals by five to one, sing the 'Salawat' while the BN people are busy fanning themselves.

Some verbal spats break out but nothing serious as the Light Strike Force forms a central buffer between both sides.

12.02pm: (Galas) At the Bandar Baru polling station, a shouting match erupts between BN and PAS supporters; almost turning into a shoving match or worse, requiring PAS' Unit Amal and the police to  immediately step in.

There is a tense stand-off as the PAS supporters shout "Hancur BN", with  Umno supporters responding in like manner. 

The Light Strike Force personnel are called to form a cordon with about one metre of deadspace between the two rival groups. The Unit Amal helps to form an inner cordon to shut out the more rowdy PAS supporters.

Despite the intervention by the Kelantan police chief, the situation continues to be tense. BN supporters now take over the role of provocateurs as they try to rile PAS supporters hurling accusations of PAS state government wrongdoings.

11.45am: (Galas) EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar says voters are allowed to enter polling centres and cast their votes in the 1Malaysia T-shirt.

"It's okay. We only ban the logo of political parties, (not 1Malaysia). You want to wear 2Malaysia, also can," Wan Ahmad told Malaysiakini when visiting SRJKC Gua Musang.

He was commenting on the accusations that those who wear 1Malaysia T-shirts when casting their votes can get roughly RM100 as a "reward".

Saying he did not receive any complaints so far on the matter, Wan Ahmad challenges the "story teller" to lodge a police report.

"Whoever gets the story, please go and lodge a police report. We have heard a lot of stories today, but SPR did not receive any official complaint," he said.

On the polling situation today, he says the voting process is running smoothly, but there are some problems outside the polling centres.

According to Wan Ahmad, there are too many outsiders in Galas who are creating tension when one opposing camp provokes the other.

"When you provoke the other side, they will get angry."

12.24pm: (Galas) As at 12pm, the voter turnout rate for Galas is 49.61%, or 5,732 voters have cast their votes. This figure excludes five Orang Asli areas.

(Batu Sapi) The voters turnout is 36.2 percent, or 9,261 voters.

12.35pm : (Galas) RTM interviews Kelantan CPO and the EC deputy chairperson at SMK Tengku Indra Petra, the polling station for Bandar Baru.

Meanwhile, a PORU (Public Order Riot Unit) unit comprising about 12 personnel and a truckload of riot gear and mobile barricades arrives in SMK Tengku Indra Petra in four trucks and one command landrover.

However, the situation cools down as the heat takes the fight out of opposing camps.

Taking no chances, the police deploy the mobile barricades and place the crowd control unit on standby.

12.40pm : (Batu Sapi) About 100 BN campaigners carry Linda Tsen and Najib posters and shout “Hidup BN” outside SMK Batu Sapi, one of the largest polling stations in a majority bumiputera area.

However they appear tired and bored for a lack of opposition presence. Only a few Pakatan campaigners including PKR Wanita exco Felicia Ling are there, holding Ansari posters. The atmosphere is calm.

12.30pm : (Galas) A long mysterious queue is seen at BN Bukit Cekati operations room ( right ). The roughly 300 in the queue have just finished casting their votes.

They appear to be registering at a counter and then moved to a makeshift room at the rear, and later seen leaving with a brown envelope each.

When asked, they say that they have been given RM250.

Galas BN director and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh, on being approached by reporters, refused to comment on the goings-on in the makeshift room.

1pm: (Galas) EC announces that four remote polling stations - Pos Belatim, Pos Hau, Pos Bihai and Pos Balar - which have 924 Orang Asli voters, are now closed.

The early closure is to facilitate the transportation of ballot boxes by helicopter to the vote-tallying centre at Gua Musang civic centre.

Meanwhile Star reports the police saying that a Puteri Umno leader from the Kuala Krai division has been warded at the Gua Musang hospital after she was allegedly punched by a PAS Muslimat member.

1.02pm: (Batu Sapi) PKR candidate Ansari went to Sandakan community hall, where the postal votes were being sorted out, to complain that EC did not follow procedures when identifying problematic votes as spoilt votes.

However, it was only a technical and procedural issue. SAPP candidate Yong Teck Lee also visited the hall to check on the problem.

1.30pm: (Batu Sapi) PKR claims that there was an incident involving a 'phantom voter' at SMK Batu Sapi polling station.

According to PKR Wanita exco Rozaini Mohd Rosli, who was a polling agent at the 4th channel ( saluran ), voter Mad Yusof Milaham could not vote because his ballot paper had been issued to another person earlier.

1.44pm: (Galas) The voter turnout rate in this state seat as at 1pm is 55.75 percent, or 6,441 votes.

The figure should be higher as this does not include five Asli areas - Pos Belatim, Pos Balar, Pos Bihai, Pos Brooke/Lojing and Ladoi.

(Batu Sapi) The voter turnout as at 1pm in Batu Sapi is 41.6 percent or 10,505 voters.

2.19pm: (Galas) Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin sends a tweet on the Puteri Umno member reported earlier, who was hit with a flag pole by PAS supporters in Kampung Baru.

"She is getting treatment in Gua Musang Hospital," says Khairy. 

It is learnt that the alleged assailant was a member of PAS women's wing.

2.23pm: (Galas) According to the EC, the voter turnout as at 2pm is 61.39 percent or 7,092 voters.

(Batu Sapi) Meanwhile, over in Sabah, the voter turnout as at 2pm is 46.42%, or 11,876 voters.

3pm: (Galas) PAS national election director Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman says three police reports have been made today on issues relating to ballot paper irregularities.

Of these are ballot papers without the logos of the contesting parties.

He also commented on the incident involving the injured Puteri Umno member saying that it was “just a misunderstanding between a woman from another of Umno and PAS.”

Abdul Halim adds that PAS is confident of their chances in this by-election, and that based on their latest data 95 percent of those outstation have returned to Galas to vote.

3.24pm: (Batu Sapi) Voter turnout as at 3pm is 52.06%, or 13,318 voters.

(Galas) The EC announces the latest voter turnout as 66.23 percent with 7,651 voters having cast their votes.

3.55pm: (Batu Sapi) The counting of votes at the SK Tronglit

polling centre is underway after it closed at 3pm, says returning officer Mohamad Hamsan Awang Supain said.

According to him, the ballot boxes would then be sent to

the vote-tallying centre at the Sandakan Community Hall by boat. The centre has 984 voters.

Another polling station, SK Segaliud, which has 785 voters, will close at 4pm, while the rest at 5pm. The early closure of the two polling stations was to facilitate the transportation of ballot boxes to the vote-tallying centre.

4.15pm: (Galas) The four ballot boxes that was to be flown by helicopter have reached the main tally centre in Gua Musang town.

The ballot boxes are from Belatim and Balar and they reached the Gua Musang community hall, where the votes will be tallied up, at 2.15pm.

Another two from Ladoi and Bihai reached the centre at 2.48pm, says an EC official.

Counting will begin at 5pm after all the polling stations have closed.

4.27pm: (Galas) EC announces that the voters turnout as at 4pm is 69.88 percent, or 8,073 voters.

However, this does not include five Orang Asli polling stations - Pos Brooke, Belatim, Balar, Bihai and Ladoi. If votes from these polling stations are included, the voters turnout could be as high as 80 percent.

4.45pm: (Batu Sapi) Voters turnout as at 4pm is 57.56 percent, or 14,725 voters.

5pm: All polling stations close.

[More to follow]