EC URGES VOTERS IN MAHKOTA BY-ELECTION TO ENSURE HIGH TURNOUT

KLUANG, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- The Election Commission (EC) is urging voters in the Mahkota state assembly by-election to fulfil their duty by ensuring a high turnout on Saturday, Sept 28.

"During the Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan last month, the voter turnout exceeded 70 per cent.

“We hope to see similarly high participation here... our target is as high as possible," EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun told reporters after observing the early voting at the Dewan Mahkota polling centre located in Kem Mahkota, accompanied by Johor EC director Nor Nekman Jaimon.

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Regarding today’s early voting, Ramlan expressed hopes of reaching a 90 per cent turnout. As of 10 am, the recorded turnout was 35.47 per cent.

"The number of voters who have fulfilled their duties by 10 am is higher compared to the early voting during the last General Election, where only 18.6 per cent had voted by the same time. Insya-Allah, with the good weather today, we hope to achieve our target of 90 per cent participation," he said.

Ramlan also visited the other two polling centres at Dewan Pengaman Zamrud in the Kluang District Police headquarters housing complex and Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Sir Ibrahim.

The early voting involves 4,510 military personnel and their spouses, as well as 401 police officers, making up part of the 66,318 registered voters in the Mahkota constituency.

Also present were the two candidates in the by-election, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah from Barisan Nasional and Mohamad Haizan Jaafar from Perikatan Nasional.

This by-election was called following the death of the incumbent, Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, 63, on Aug 2 while she was receiving treatment at the Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital.

-- BERNAMA