Early voters start casting their ballots in Padang Serai, Tioman from 8am

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- Early voting for the postponed Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah and the Tioman state seat in Pahang began officially at 8 am today, involving 319 early voters.

From the total, 79 are police personnel voting for the Padang Serai seat, while 243 police personnel are voting for the Tioman state seat.

Those casting their votes for Padang Serai will be doing so at the Kulim district police headquarters multipurpose hall from 8 am to 2 pm while those voting for Tioman will be voting at either the Rompin district police headquarters breakroom from 8 am to 5 pm and the Pulau Tioman Tetek police station information room from 8 am to noon today.

The ballots will not be counted today and all ballot boxes will be kept at police stations for safekeeping.

Elections in both areas were postponed following the death of contesting candidates, Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) M. Karupaiya for the Padang Serai seat and Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Md Yunus Ramli for the Tioman seat.

There will be a six-corner contest for the Padang Serai seat involving candidates from PH, Barisan Nasional (BN), PN and Pejuang, but BN announced that it would give way to PH and not contest the seat last night.

Meanwhile, Tioman will see a five-corner contest between candidates from BN, PN, PH, Pejuang and an independent, but PH has confirmed its withdrawal following the formation of the Unity Government at national and state levels.

-- BERNAMA