Reporting by Aidila Razak, Abdul Rahim Sabri, Kow Kwan Yee, Radzi Razak dan Ahmad Fadli KC. Photographs by Lim Heuy Teng
FREE KAJANG The official campaign period was only 12 days but with parties campaigning soon after the seat was vacated on Jan 27, Kajang may be the longest by-election campaign in four decades.
38,055 voters will vote today after 1,188 early voters polled on Wednesday in this urban mixed-ethnicity constituency of 39,278.
By closing, tipped winner PKR will find out if candidate Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has managed to widen PKR's majority of close to 7,000 in 2013 in what PKR calls a referedum on injustice, judicial fraud and extremism.
BN candidate Chew Mei Fun is seeking to improve MCA's performance among the 41 percent Chinese voters to prove the party's relevance.
Tallying of ballots from the 18 voting districts will be at the Kajang Municipal Council Stadium, and official results are expected to be announced in stages soon after polls close at 5pm.
How will the people of Kajang vote?
6.45PM: The party whose candidate wins the Kajang by-election should not to take to the streets to celebrate the victory, Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Yusof said.
Abdul Aziz said that this is to avoid provoking untoward action by the losing party.
Abdul Aziz said that at 5pm, 28,314 voters cast their ballots making the turnout a relatively low 72 percent.
This is a plunge of 16 percent compared to 2013.
He said the EC will analyse the reason for the drop, especially considering that polling day was set on a Sunday.
He noted that turnout was also much lower than in the last two by-elections in Kuala Besut and Sg Limau, which were both in the range of 80 to 90 percent.
However he discounted voter fatigue, due to polling day being set close to two months after the seat was vacated on Jan 27.
He said that if the election was called soon after the seat was vacated, some would cry foul over short notice while having it later is now contributing to claims of fatigue.
"I don't know how to choose a date now," he said.
6.08pm : The final turnout is 72 percent, a huge drop from 88.4 percent last year, the EC announces.
5.30pm: Ballot boxes have started to arrive at the tallying centre.
5pm: Voting ends. Party workers are making their way to their respective operations centres while 'war rooms' prepare to receive the tally from polling agents who will count the votes at the 16 polling centres.
Ballot boxes and the individual box tallies will be taken to the Kajang Municipal Council Sports Complex for the final tabulation.
The EC expects results to be out at 9pm.
4.30pm: The Bandar Baru Bangi sports complex has been turned into a fortress to protect the ballot counting centre within.
Barricades have been erected, reinforced with barbed wire and there is heavy security presence. Even the K-9 unit has been deployed.
4pm: An hour to the closing of polls and only 67 percent of voters have cast their ballot. This makes last year's high turnout of 87 percent a distant dream.
It is also expected to be lower than the voter turnout at the 2008 general election, which recorded 79.9 percent.
4.15pm: With less than an hour left to close of polls, Wan Azizah takes her third-ever ride on a motorcycle to get the vote out.
4.00pm: Ilham Centre has released its research on the Kajang by-election conducted between March 19 to yesterday, which shows PKR garnering 53 percent of votes to BN's 32 percent.
11 percent were unsure while four percent declined to respond in the survey, involving 406 respondents.
The research says support for BN in seven voting districts with more than 75 percent Malays and traditionally regarded as Umno strongholds, was eroding.
"In the voting district of Sungai Kantan and Batu Cheras 10, Pakatan and PKR is extending its influence there and is believed to be able to sway some once-hardcore Umno/BN supporters," Ilham centre director Muhamad Hisommudin Bakar asserts in a statement this afternoon.
He adds if PKR can maintain the last general election's voting trend in Kajang for other races and increase its Malay support, BN will have a hard time reducing PKR's majority.
3.50pm: Turnout at 3pm is a relatively low 60.85 percent, raising warning signs for PKR.
PKR campaigners have been mobilised to get out the voters with hopes that the final turnout will be around 75 percent.
"I believe this is because people are confident that Pakatan will win so they don't take it as seriously as the general election.
"We should be able to hit 75 percent by closing time, which is quite good and we are confident we will win," says PKR's Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tsin.
He said that low turnout is across the board among BN and Pakatan supporters and all 16 voting districts.
"With the turnout not as high, it is now not about the (winning) majority being big or small. Right now the most important thing is to win the by-election."
3.50pm: Sungai Chua - PKR candidate Wan Azizah Wan Ismail ( right ) surveys two voting centres here.
She has her trademark hand-fan and a gloved-right hand, to allow her to freely shake hands with men.
She seems to be making her rounds in a hurry even though it is understood that she has only one more polling centre to visit.
2.20pm: PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil claims on Twitter that Anwar Ibrahim was almost punched at an incident in Sungai Sekamat.
Raw media footage sighted by Malaysiakini shows that there was a scuffle between PKR and BN supporters at around 10.30am today.
However, the scuffle takes place several metres away from Anwar who is leaving the scene.
The footage also shows an umbrella with a BN logo thrown in the direction of PKR supporters but no injuries have been reported.
Meanwhile, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin tweets that the lack of PAS supporters spotted at the polling centres signals that PAS is unhappy with PKR's 'Kajang Move'.
However, Malaysiakini reporters on the ground note that there are PAS supporters seen among PKR supporters, including PAS' Unit Amal brigade.
"PAS treasurer Hatta Ramli was at Sungai Kantan as well. However, PAS supporters have not come out in force if compared to the Sungai Limau and Kuala Besut by-elections (contested by PAS)," observes reporter Radzi Razak.
2pm: Turnout is 53.71 percent. The turnout at close of polls in the 2013 general election was 87 percent. Pundits say that lower turnout will hurt PKR.
On Twitter , Anwar retweets urgent calls for voters to turn up to vote.
1:30 pm: Sg Kantan - Visits from MCA president Liow Tiong Lai and candidate Chew Mei Fun reignite PKR and BN supporters, as a shouting match resumes for a while.
A temporary truce ends as someone from the Pakatan side shouts, "Kangkung, kangkung!" and BN shouts back shaking their bums at the opposition.
Police taking a break in their trucks reemerge to control the provocative crowd.
However, the shouting match quickly dies down again as soon as the MCA leaders and PKR leaders such as Subang MP Sivarasa leaves the scene.
1pm: Turnout is still under half with only four hours of voting to go. 47.24 percent or 17,977 voters have cast their ballot at this point.
1.10pm: Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang is not amused with Pakatan Rakyat supporters mimicking the bomoh who had caused a scene at KLIA recently.
"Sometimes, we should wonder what's really in the minds of those pulling such crazy stunts in public? Maturity is in question," he writes on Twitter .
12.55pm: Kota Cheras - PKR party worker Clement Loh claims police stationed at a polling centre there are violating the Elections Offences Act by keeping tabs on the number of voters who arrive at the centre.
"Police duty is only to provide security, not to record the number of voters. Polling officers were asking the police how many people have arrived and the police showed them a notebook in which they recorded the number.
"I took pictures and have evidence," he says when contacted.
He cites Section 5 of the Act, however, this section only deals with secrecy of the ballot and discussion of a voter's voting choice.
12:30 pm: Sg Kantan - A popular eatery here, Bawal Restaurant, gets drawn into politics.
The shop shuts temporarily as the owner had argued with PKR supporters who cursed and chastised him. The supporters were earlier sent by the police to the restaurant to cool off.
The quarrel apparently broke out over a misunderstanding as some patrons had eaten and walked off without paying.
The restaurant owner however cools off later and tells reporters that he will reopen his restaurant shortly.
Police are still working to ensure that PKR and BN supporters stay away from one another, on either side of the 5m wide road.
Thankfully, the heat from the scorching midday sun brings tired throats and thus less shouting and provocation.
12.12 pm: SK Seri Sekamat - Out of 18 polling stations in Kajang, only two have reported rowdy incidents, police say. The rest have been described as merely "festive" in mood, with police confident that they can be secured.
Selangor Police chief Shukri Dahlan explain possible causes of flare ups at some polling centres.
"My officers reported to me firstly, that clashes happen when the road in front of the schools are too narrow," he says, adding that voters who randomly park their cars often cause traffic jams near polling centres.
The second factor is party supporters ganging up outside the polling centres. Shukri however assures that this is not insidious, calling it more a gathering of merry-makers.
12pm: Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Yusof condemns the bringing of kangkung to polling centres by PKR supporters as "provocative".
He says if one side brings items or says things which hurt the other side, then it will push the other side to retaliate and cause problems.
He urges political parties to ensure their supporters behave, including at the tally centre tonight.
"I hope there are no things being thrown or people getting injured," he says, expecting results to be announced at 9pm.
12pm: Voter turnout stands at 15,529 people or 40.81 percent.
11:40 am: Sg Kantan - About 20 light strike force officers move in to push PKR and BN supporters further away from each other as their provocation against each other almost sparks a fight.
They are now 20m away from each other, compared to 5m before. Situation is tense but under control.
11.16am: Kajang - It is motorcycle gang vs bicycle gang in Kajang today. Umno Youth leader Armand Azha is leading a group of motorcyclists in BN shirts from polling centre to polling centre.
The motorcyclists rev their machines to annoy and drown out the opposing group for about 10 minutes before leaving in a cloud of fumes.
Meanwhile, 20 cyclists, including a 66-year-old man, wearing T-shirts reading 'Power of Rakyat' and 'Rakyat Is Not A Fool' (sic) are also cycling from centre to centre to show support for PKR.
BN's heckling, however, gets the better of one cyclist at SK Convent Kajang, who shouts back: "Hey, bodoh!"
He is coaxed to calm down by PKR supporters who pass him an
isotonic drink.
11:15am: SK Kantan Permai - Pakatan Rakyat supporters are on the move. Two young men are seen carrying two black pipes, and two old coconuts, perhaps to parody the infamous MH370 "bomoh" act.
They start shouting "Kangkung!" at BN supporters.
11.00am: SK Kantan Permai - Speaking to reporters after visiting several polling spots, Wan Azizah calls the support for PKR "exhilarating".
However, she also fingers BN supporters as stirring up tension, adding that she hopes the election run smoothly.
To a question on the odds of her winning, Wan Azizah said: "I can't predict a victory but I feel thankful to God right now," she said.
At the same time, Anwar says he is confident of PKR victory in Kajang.
He called on PKR supporters to avoid answering BN jeers.
"They are using dirty words, our supporters please remain calm. If you need to answer back, say 'kangkung', that's okay," he said.
10.30am: Sungai Chua
- The new village entrance sees a commotion when Chinese supporters from MCA and PKR, who are standing facing each other across a narrow road, initiates a war of words by throwing abusive curses in Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin.The tense situation is exacerbated when a PKR supporter in Cantonese curses MCA members to "die" and provokes a hot-tempered man to walk across to try to punch him.
"How can you curse someone to die along with our family?" he laments.
Taking swift action, at least five light strike force personnel separate the duo and instruct both sides to stay out of the road.
However, PKR supporters keep uttering abusive words now while the MCA crowd falls silent.
10.30am: Kajang - A group of about 30 in BN shirts are having a great time heckling a smaller group of PKR supporters at SK Convent Kajang.
They pretend to look at the PKR lot using binoculars apparently because the PKR lot is so small.
The group, many of whom look like they are in their late teens arrived in motorcycles and are led by former Perkasa Youth chief and now Umno youth leader Armand Azha.
They tell Subang PKR MP Sivarasa Rasiah and PKR Youth leader Rozan Azen to go home, before revving their motorcycles loudly to agitate the other side.
Earlier, there is a commotion when Rozan questions the police why cars with BN's dacing logos are allowed to send voters to the polling centre gates.
10.27am: Kantan Permai - Wan Azizah's presence sparks shouting match between BN and Pakatan supporters as she visits the PKR operations tent, about 150m from the voting centre.
One of her Chinese supporters greets Wan Azizah and utters: "We have won!" prompting a smile from the PKR candidate. She then heads into SK Kantan Permai.
10.15am: SK Kantan Permai - Anwar Ibrahim makes his rounds, shaking hands with PKR supporters and motorists. With him are PAS Malacca ex-commissioner Abdul Ghani Abdul Rahman and Sabah leader Lajim Ukin.
Anwar avoids the BN supporters' area. However, the BN side is turns quiet when Anwar is present, probably drowned out by Pakatan cheering "Tolak BN" and "Reformasi".
10.10am: SK Kantan Permai - Kuala Selangor MP Irmohizam is here to back BN supporters.
"More people are now keen to vote. I am confident we will achieve an extraordinary victory.
"Respect the democratic process, win or lose, there must be competition. Be peaceful, I hope it can be a new phase post GE13," he says.
10.00am: Sungai Chua - An elderly man grabs the limelight at the main entrance of Sungai Chua new village when he carries bunches of kangkung on the PKR supporters' side.
The 64-year-old, who only wants to be known as Ahmad, says he has driven all the way from Pahang to join the supporters group.
"I want to remind the voters here, that (prime minister) Najib Abdul Razak has caused the sugar price increase but ridicules the rakyat by saying kangkung price is down.
"We can't stand this anymore!" he stresses.
Ahmad is seen shouting, "Kangkung price goes down but sugar price goes up," to the voters who walk pass the spot.
10.00am: SK Kantan Permai - Separated only by a lane and with operation tents opposite each other, BN supporters outnumber Pakatan here.
They shout "Hidup BN", "Hancur Anwar", "Tolak Anwar" dan "Tolak Kak Wan" repeatedly while waving banners and Chew Mei Fun posters.
Pakatan backers shout "Reformasi."
A small commotion takes place when a car accidentally knocks into a motorbike from behind, drawing uproar from BN backers.
It is unclear if the car driver is a party backer but police intervene and restore peace.
9.55am: Kajang - Police chase off all party workers, except those assisting the elderly, to move away from the polling centre entrance at SK Convent Kajang.
For most of the morning, MCA vote canvassers have flocked the area and are spotted diligently recording the number of voters arriving, according to race.
One party worker is seen approaching Chinese voters saying "Chew Mei Fun" and " hua ren " (Chinese).
When asked if he is allowed to do so, he defensively says, "Who are you? A reporter? I can be a reporter, too. I am not wearing any party logos."
"You don't speak our language so you don't know what I am saying. You don't need to interview me.
"I am not afraid, I've got nothing to hide as I am not doing anything wrong. Police can catch me if I am!" says the man, purportedly a datuk, who refuses to identify himself.
Also holding an umbrella while greeting voters is party campaigner Lim Yew Peng, who earlier in the campaign tells Malaysiakini he is leading MCA's Kajang polling district campaign.
9.50am: EC says that as at 9am, 11.8 percent have voted.
9:30am: Sg Kantan - Voters pose for photos with Wan Azizah, who visits for a brief 10 minutes.
PKR backers send her off with shouts of "reformasi" as she walks out from SK Sungai Kantan with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and his supporters in tow.
9.00am: Sungai Chua - MCA and PKR supporters are lining up along the entrance to SRJK(C) Sungai Chua to urge for support from motorists whose vehicles are in a bumper-to-bumper crawl.
The two groups shout, "Please vote for Chew Mei Fun," and, "Support Kak Wan," to the motorists and passers-by.
Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin leading the PKR group, says there are over 5,000 voters in Sungai Chua and the heavy traffic flow is unavoidable at narrow roads in this Chinese new village.
Meanwhile, some MCA supporters are heard saying, "Kajang is Chinese seat, don't become a traitor to the Chinese," to the passers-by.
9am: Taman Mesra - A shouting match breaks out between Pakatan and BN supporters at SM Agama Persekutuan Kajang.
A BN supporter cracks a joke, "Why hang up a photo of someone else's wife, what about your own wife?" taking a jibe at those bearing posters of Wan Azizah, while those around laugh.
8.50am: Kajang - PKR candidate Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who visits the SK Convent polling centre, says her team will closely monitor the turnout.
"We're not looking at absolute numbers, but percentage of votes," she tells reporters.
PKR won with close to 7,000 votes, or 58 percent of the votes in GE13, and a majority of less than that would raise many questions for the party that had deliberately triggered this by-election.
Meanwhile, a voter who only wants to be known as Serena, urges all parties to show their worth through actions and "not just preaching".
She says an elected representative should not resign at will if he is healthy and capable of doing the job." But I give them the benefit of the doubt," the deputy managing director says.
Former PKR representative Lee Chin Cheh had resigned to set in motion what the party calls the 'Kajang Move'.
8:45am: SK Kantan Permai - About 35 young BN supporters are showing off by revving up their noisy motorbikes and emitting exhaust smoke.
They ride back and forth waving BN flags, and are overpowering other party backers standing outside.
A frustrated Pakatan backer shouts back at the BN riders, "Well done, well done ...do it again!" several times.
8:40 am: Public Assembly Hall, Sungai Chua - Chew Mei Fun is here, dressed in auspicious red and not her regular blue and white party togs.
"This is the blouse that I also wear during my campaign. And some people advised me to wear red today," Chew says with a smile when reporters ask.
8:36am: SK Kantan Permai - It looks like BN supporters outnumber Pakatan. There are about 100 BN backers loudly cheering voters with "Hidup BN, Undilah BN" as they go in to vote, waving flags and umbrellas.
Only about 35 PKR backers wave Wan Azizah posters and flags at passers by.
Many passing vehicles also honk for BN supporters, further galvanising them.
8.36am: Kajang - A couple who arrives in their wedding attire becomes the centre of attention as they pull up at the SK Convent Kajang.
Dessed in bridal white, Siti Nurul Aishah Nazri, 24, , has come to vote with her grandmother while new husband Muhammad Sani Zaini, 28, waits outside.
Muhammad Sani, who is in his Royal Malaysian Air Force uniform, says their solemnisation ceremony was yesterday while the reception will be at nearby Kampung Jambu at 1pm today.
"We haven't put on our makeup yet," says the groom shyly to the media.
8.30 am: Sungai Chua - BN and Pakatan supporters stand on opposing sides outside the Public Assembly Hall at Sungai Chua, in their party attire and carrying banners.
About 10 light strike force members stand ready.
However there are no problems here, voter entry and exit is smooth.
8:15 am: Sungai Sekamat - Things get a bit messy as the police work to keep BN and Pakatan supporters separated, to avert a fight.
Party supporters are rubbed up against one another as worsening traffic conditions mean many of them are parked far away and taking the same route to the voting centre.
However, police have helped. Party backers are not provoking one another, which is just as well as even an ambulance is stuck in slow moving traffic.
8.20am: Sungai Chua - BN candidate Chew Mei Fun starts her day at Jing Miao Buddhist Association before visiting several polling stations.
The MCA vice-president prays for luck with joss sticks and joins a brief chanting session at the temple hall.
Chew is scheduled to visit SRJK(C) Sungai Chua at 9am.
8.20am: Sungai Chua - Kajang voter Billy Thein, 38, is annoyed by a large group of policemen seen standing outside the polling station at SRJK(C) Sungai Chua.
"It is too many of them (police), this is not a war zone...they should control the traffic instead of just standing there," Thein tells Malaysiakini after casting his ballot.
He opines the force is higher in number compared to the last May 5 general election, saying it's overkill.
8.18am: Kajang - A man is turned away by polling officers at SK Convent Kajang.
"You vote at Bukit Kajang (voting district), which is at the neighbouring constituency in Bangi," the agent tells him.
He is not the first to make the mistake.
The Election Commission (EC) had earlier released a statement to rebut another Bukit Kajang voter who took to social media to accuse the EC of shifting him out of the Kajang constituency without consent.
The Kajang constituency stretches from Batu 10 Cheras to Section 14 Bangi.
8:00 am: Sungai Sekamat - Traffic jams up in front of the Seri Sekamat school polling centre, not because of voting but the regular Sunday morning market.
However, the polling centre is starting to come to life too as locals gear up to choose a new state representative.
8.00am: Sungai Chua - Some 100 Chinese voters are spotted checking their polling streams at SRJK(C) Sungai Chua polling station.
There are 15 streams at this polling station, with most of the voters present being senior citizens.
About 50 policemen have been stationed at the surrounding to ensure a smooth voting process.
7.55am: Kajang - Voters are let into the polling centre at SK Convent Kajang as party workers from both camps chant 'Reformasi' and '1Malaysia' respectively.
The BN group is double that of the PKR group of about 10, but both sides are equally loud.
Their chanting prompts police to step in to ensure the two camps - who are standing less five metres of each other - keep at least 10 metres apart.
15 voters of various races and ages had been queuing to enter the polling centre as early as 7.45am. Voting starts 8am.
"I drove back from Batu Pahat last night so I can vote early today," one voter who arrived at 7.30am, tells Malaysiakini .
7.55am: Saujana Impian - The queue starts to form for two polling streams at SK Saujana Impian - about 25 people.
Altogether, the polling centre has five streams.
So far, there's no sign of either Pakatan or BN supporters rallying outside the polling centre.
Up to 2,014 voters are registered to vote here.
