NIGHT SHIFT NO BARRIER FOR POLICE PERSONNEL TO CAST EARLY VOTES IN BY-ELECTIONS

KINABATANGAN, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Despite having just completed their night shift duties, several personnel from the Kinabatangan District Police Headquarters (IPD) remained committed to fulfilling their rights and responsibilities as early voters in the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections today.

Insp Siti Hajar Mohd Taupek, 37, who had just ended her shift, was among the earliest officers to arrive and wait her turn to vote at the early voting centre at Teratak IPD Kinabatangan, which opened at 8 am.

“I have just finished my night shift this morning, and before going home to rest, I came straight here to cast my vote. I have been serving here since 2019, and this is the fourth time I am voting early here,” she told Bernama when met outside the polling centre.

Cpl Sophia Lim Ian Ian, 32, also did not make fatigue from night shift duties an excuse for not exercising her responsibility as an early voter.

“For this by-election, we are using the little finger to be dipped in indelible ink as the index finger still bears ink marks from the 17th Sabah State Election on Nov 29 last year,” she said.

The Kinabatangan Parliamentary by-election sees a three-cornered contest involving Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar of Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman (Warisan) and Goldam Hamid (Independent), while the Lamag state seat is a straight fight between BN’s Mohd Ismail Ayob and Mazliwati Abdul Malek (Warisan).

The by-elections were called following the death of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, 66, on Dec 5 last year.

The Kinabatangan parliamentary constituency comprises three state seats, namely Sukau, Lamag and Kuamut, with a total of 48,722 registered voters, while the Lamag state constituency has 13,899 voters.

The Election Commission has set this Saturday as the polling day for both by-elections.

-- BERNAMA