BUKIT GELUGOR
After 13 days of campaign, Bukit Gelugor's polling day has finally arrived.The campaign has been somewhat subdued due to BN not contesting the seat following MCA’s decision not to enter the fray, opting instead to focus on preventing PAS from tabling a Private Member’s Bill on hudud in Parliament on June 9.
All eyes are on DAP's Ramkarpal Singh ( centre , in picture ), largely expected to defeat Parti Cinta Malaysia's Huan Cheng Guan, and two independent candidates Abu Backer Sidek Mohammad Zan and Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Nabi Sathar.
Should he win, the focus would then on Ramkarpal’s vote majority, as his father, the late Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh, won with a 41,778-vote majority over MCA's Teh Beng Yeam in the May 5 general election.
Although eccentric independent candidate Abu Backer has withdrawn from the race, his name will still be on the ballot paper.
The Election Commission (EC) has predicted that about 78 percent of the 82,283 registered voters will turn up to vote today.
Bukit Gelugor has 17 district polling centres, and 139 polling stations for ordinary voters.
Results are expected to be known as early as 9pm tonight.
The seat fell vacant after Karpal ( above ) died in a car crash along the North-South Highway near Gua Tempurung, Perak, on April 17.
LIVE REPORT
5pm: Polling ends with turnout of 56 percent. The EC is expected to announce the results later at 9pm. Follow our live report on the tally here.
4.10pm: Greenlane - Ramkarpal and other DAP leaders will gather at the DAP operations centre here at 7pm as the results from all the polling centres trickle in.
They will later adjourn to Dewan Sri Pinang at 9pm when the EC announces the official results.
Meanwhile, with less than an hour to go before polling ends, the number of voters that have turned up finally exceeds the 50 per cent mark with some 43,814 voters (53.26 per cent) having cast their ballots.
4pm: A group of Pakatan supporters who operate a "pondok panas" not far away from Sungai Gelugor polling station, claim that EC officials have instructed them to remove banners and stop providing electoral service there since 3pm.
But instead of making a big fuss over that, they turn the tent into a “pit stop” and start brewing coffee and peeling mangos.
A supporter who declines to be named, says the authorities are practising double standards as Party Cinta Malaysia (PCM) has also done the same thing but it has not been penalised.
"Never mind, we just sit here chit-chatting and enjoy a cup of evening coffee," he says.
PCM ( right )had also set up a counter nearer to the polling centre with two ladies wearing party t-shirts in attendance. But they claim they are just jotting down the number of voters.
However SK Sungai Gelugor polling station supervisor Abdul Rahim denies giving any instructions to remove banners 50 metres from the station.
"I never gave such an order. Whoever claims I did, please tell them to come forward and talk to me."
Meanwhile, another group of villagers wearing PCM t-shirts were also spotted sitting inside the compound of Sungai Gelugor Federal Village Development and Security Committee (JKKP) hall.
A lady who claims to be an Umno member, says they choose to help PCM as BN is not contesting and they refuse to throw their support behind DAP's candidate.
"Not many villagers came out to vote as BN is not contesting," she adds.
3.30pm: SMJK Chung Hwa -
Lim Guan Eng says the low voter turnout in Bukit Gelugor is expected as BN is not contesting, and so people are expecting a win for Ramkarpal.He is nonetheless happy that polling day has remained peaceful so far, expressing hope that everyone will accept the people's decision when the results are announced after 9pm.
"What is important is that we do not have money politics and threats by gangsters," Lim says after casting his votes.
"We hope the situation will be same for all states," he adds, referring to the coming by-election in Teluk Intan on May 31 where DAP is contesting against Gerakan.
3.10pm: SMJK Chung Hwa - Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng arrives with his sister Lim Hui Ying and mother to cast their votes.
He is greeted by Ramkarpal, his mother Gurmit and Rayer, whose wife is also voting at this centre.
Guan Eng pushes his mother in a wheelchair as they enter the centre.
3pm: According to the EC, the number of voters that have turned up has crept up to 48.77 per cent, a total of 40,116 voters. There is still two hours to go for polling to close.
2.00pm: Turnout continues to be poor at 42.90 percent or 35,292 voters. With three hours to go to close to voting, turnout thus far is lower than Karpal's winning majority of 41,778.
2.30pm: Due to poor voter turnout,Penang DAP is trying to mobilise another 15,000 voters to come cast their vallot in the last three hours through social media,for instance via its official Facebook fanpage.
1.30pm: SK Bukit Gelugor - DAP's Seri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer, who sparked noisy protests by Umno due to a remark he made on last Tuesday, arrives to cast his vote.
Accompanying him are his wife and sister.
Others voting at the polling station include Karuppiah Thevar Muthu, 86, from Taman Buah Pala who says he has been voting since Independence.
He does not wish to reveal his choice today but says: "I have made up my mind, so I have come out to vote".
Another voter, who wants to be known only as Jumi, 66, says she feels the election campaign this time is quiet.
"There is lack of publicity about the election. There is not much news and activities about it," she adds.
Two women in dark blue baju kurung and headscarfs walks out of the polling centre and simply say "1Malaysia!" and stroll away when asked how they felt about the polls.
1.21pm: Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim becomes the fifth DAP lawmaker to claim that his mobile phone has been hacked since Thursday.
He claims that his phone has been hacked to send out messages claiming that DAP has already won.
"I hope the public who received dubious sms-es from us will report to our offices.
"I hope more people will come out to exercise their duty to vote today irregardless of any persuasion to do otherwise," he said in a statement.
Yesterday four DAP reps claimed that their phones were hacked to send messages with racial undertones. A police report was lodged.
1pm: Voter turnout remains low at 37.91 percent or 30,596 votes.
12.30pm: SMK Datuk Haji Mohamad Nor Ahmad - Regarding DAP’s allegation that PCM's Huan Cheng Guan is campaigning inside the polling station, Abdul Aziz says the EC has yet to receive any complaints on this.
"It is an election offence. If they (PCM) really do it, we can take action.”
Meanwhile, he says it wasn't an offence for members of the voluntary patrol unit to be standing outside a polling station as long as they do not hold the logos of any party contesting in the by-election.
He adds that party supporters, however, are barred from gathering up to 50 metres from polling centres, and only those with authorisation passes may enter.
12pm: SMK Datuk Haji Mohamad Nor Ahmad - EC chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof says, only 16,418 voters, or 19.95 percent have cast their votes as at 11am, which is quite low according to their benchmark, as this averages to six percent voter turnout per hour.
"Normally, the average is at least 10 per cent for the first fews hours before 12pm, which is considered the peak period and this will drop after 1pm. Sometimes, we can even achieve 13 to 15 percent.
"Anyway, hopefully the final turnout rate won't drop until lower than 75 percent."
Upon visiting a few polling stations, he says he noticed that the turnout of young voters is at a lower rate than senior groups from stream 1 and 2.
He expresses gladness that the overall atmosphere is calm and that there has been no provocation from any party.
11.10 am: Kg Melayu flats - A group of women fly Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) in this Malay-majority area, urging voters to vote for PCM's candidate and not DAP's.
Separated from DAP supporters by a small lane, a shouting match ensues.
One resident only known as Makcik Mah says DAP doesn't care about the fate of the Malays in this village.
A DAP supporter shouts back in retaliation, "Dyana Sofya".
11am
: Seri Delima assemblyperson RSN Rayer complains that DAP station master Mohd Zaidi is not allowed to stay within the SMK Datuk Hj Mohd Nor Ahmad polling centre compound.
"We don't face such problems in other places, there are some inconsistencies in term of interpretation of election regulations," he says.
10:50am: Kg Melayu - Ayer Itam assemblyperson Wong Hon Wai visits the polling centre at SK Ayer Itam and SK Sri Aman.
He states that the number of Bukit Gelugor constituents that have come out thus far to vote is still too low, especially at Kg Melayu.
"Many Chinese (have come to vote) but the number of Malay voters that have come down to vote is still few,” he tells reporters.
10.45am: PCM operations centre, Air Itam - Huan complains that state exco Phee Boon Poh has "abused power and committed election irregularities" by wearing a state-funded voluntary patrol unit uniform in front of the polling centre in SMK air Itam.
Huan had earlier been engaged in a minor tiff with Phee when he told the latter that he should not be wearing the PPS (voluntary patrol unit) uniform in front of the polling centre.
To this, Phee, who is Sungai Puyu assemblyperson, responded "so what?".
Huan says he has lodged a report with the EC on the matter.
Meawhile, Ng Wei Aik reports that so far, there is a lower turnout that in SK Air Itam, comprising mostly Malay voters.
10:07am: According to Ramkarpal election campaign communication director Ng Wei Aik, DAP has called the Returning Officer Anuar Yahya to complain that PCM candidate Huan Cheng Guan is allegedly campaigning within the grounds of the SJK (C) Kong Min polling station.
10am: According to EC secretary Abdul Ghani Salleh, there is an 8.62 per cent voter turnout as at 9am, with 7,112 voters having cast their ballots.
SMK Air Itam - Ramkarpal says so far, 20 percent of voters have come out and he hopes the number picks up later.
However, he says he will be more sure of the voter turnout after visiting the polling centres.
"Voter turnout remains the major concern," he tells reporters outside the polling centre.
He adds he is also concerned about election irregularities and says DAP has been constantly educating voters about it.
On complaints the voluntary patrol unit is fishing for votes for DAP, Ramkarpal denies any knowledge on the matter.
On conducting exit polls on voters, Ramkarpal says, "we are not involved in this and leave the election process entirely to the EC".
He is met by opponent Nabi Bux as he is leaving the area. The latter shakes his hands, and both smile and wish each other "all the best".
9.45am: SMK Air Itam - Ramkarpal arrives at the centre, accompanied by his mother Gurmit Kaur.
He looks calm and confident as he enters the centre to monitor the polling area.
Meanwhile, Huan drops by the polling centre and meets State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh, shaking hands with him.
Huan, who says he is suffering pain in his legs after a gruelling 13-day campaign, says "I am alright now and will be going to other polling stations".
All is not right with Phee on the other hand, as he laments that in other polling centres, political party leaders are not allowed into the compound unless they possess EC’s "Borang 13" which indicates which party they belong to.
"The EC representative reports to the police that we are encroaching into the parameters of the voting area.
He now waits outside the centre, saying, "I don't want to confront the police or EC officers".
Phee says he gets reports from other assemblypersons monitoring other centres that other candidates do not have polling and counting agents in most centres.
9.15am: Kg Melayu - Independent Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Abdul Sathar arrives with two supporters at SK Sri Aman.
A seemingly cheerful and confident Nabi Bux spends 10 minutes greeting voters and EC officers there.
9am: Kg Melayu - Voters begin to trickle in to the polling station situated at SK Ayer Itam and SK Sri Aman.
Independent candidate Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Abdul Sathar ( left ) has stated he will make SK Ayer Itam his first stop today as he makes his rounds.
Chung Ling High School - DAP Air Itam assemblyperson Wong Hon Wai visits the private school after recieved numerous complaints that EC officials are preventing several vehicles from entering the polling centre.
"I received two to three complaints that voters are not allowed to park their cars within the school compound.
"For the last two elections, voters were allowed to do so."
He argues with two EC officials on duty there but they stand their ground and insist that the arrangement is exactly same as practiced during previous elections. They say only cars ferrying senior citizen or disabled voters are permitted to enter.
He is not allowed to go inside to settle the problem as the EC and police feel he may be "fishing for votes", which he denies he will.
"People have already made up their minds," he quips.
Phee ( left ), who is in charge of the Voluntary Patrol Unit, says the team is present in full force in the Bukit Gelugor area to help the police in controlling crowd, traffic and assisting voters cross the road.
Penang Chief Police Officer Abdul Rahim Hanafi drops by SMK Air Itam at about 7.45am to see that everything is in order as he makes his rounds among the polling centres.
8.30am: Bukit Gelugor voters have started casting their votes in all the 17 district polling centres.
DAP is not taking any chances and 37 vehicles on standby to ferry voters to their respective polling stations.
Ramkarpal is expected to visit the SMK Air Itam at 9am, his first stop before he proceeds to other centres.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will be voting at the Chung Hwa Secondary School at 3pm today.
Polling day here lacks colour as there are no "pondok panas" or voter reference booths where one would normally find party members making last minute attempts to lure voters to cast votes in their direction.
8.15am: Chung Ling High School - PCM candidate Huan Cheng Guan ( right in photo ) visits the polling station. He says he remains hopeful he will be able to secure his deposit.
"The overall atmosphere is very good this morning, with smooth traffic and no long queues or any tension.
"But it will be even better if it rains, to calm down the environment," he jokes and adds that he will be monitoring the counting process at his operations centre tonight.
7.50am: SK Seri Relau - The road around Relau is still clear, with no heavy traffic. Even so, voters already form a queue early in the morning before polling starts, while the atmosphere is relatively calm. They begin to enter the school as soon as the gates open.
