SEMENYIH POLLS | Seventy-eight percent of early voters in the Semenyih by-election had cast their ballots as of 5pm today, according to the Election Commission.

The two polling stations for early voting were the General Operations Force 4th Battalion Camp in Semenyih, and the Kajang police headquarters, which opened at 8am and closed at 5pm and 2pm respectively.

The EC said 761 voters were eligible to cast their ballots at the GOF camp and 97 at the Kajang police headquarters.

The total number of early voters in the constituency is 951, of whom 93 cast their ballots by mail.

The early voting process was witnessed by the agents of the contesting candidates, as well as representatives of organisations and NGOs appointed by the EC.

The ballot boxes will be kept at a police station lockup and will be taken to the counting centres after polling closes at 5pm on the March 2 polling day.

Earlier today, EC chairperson Azhar Azizan Harun monitored early voting at the two polling stations.

The four candidates for the by-election – Muhammad Aiman Zainali of Pakatan Harapan, Zakaria Hanafi of BN, independent Kuan Chee Heng and Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul of PSM – were also present.

The by-election was triggered with the death of the Harapan assemblyperson Bakhtiar Mohd Nor on Jan 11.

The constituency has 54,503 registered voters, comprising 53,520 ordinary voters, 951 early voters and 32 absentee voters.

Meanwhile, Kajang police deputy chief Mohd Sabri Abdullah said the early voting at the two polling stations went smoothly.

- Bernama