ELIGIBLE voters in Sungai Bakap will cast their ballots today to elect their preferred candidate.
The atmosphere at the SMK Bandar Tasek Mutiara polling centre was peaceful and orderly during a visit by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, state Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye, and Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik.
Chow noted that the by-election campaigns had been successfully conducted without any incidents.
“Today, the voters will make their decision at the ballot box.
“We hope that the good weather will continue until the evening to allow eligible voters to cast their votes without much inconvenience.
“There were concerns about a low voter turnout, but we are still hoping for a turnout of over 65%,” he told the media after visiting the SMK Bandar Tasek Mutiara polling centre.
This polling centre has the highest number of registered voters among all the centres, with over 8,000 eligible voters.
Among those at the polling centre was 54-year-old Azman Mat, who was determined to vote despite recently being discharged from the hospital following heart bypass surgery.
“I am here to fulfill my responsibility as a Malaysian citizen to vote for my preferred candidate. I am still recovering from heart bypass surgery and was discharged from the hospital on Thursday (July 4),” he said.
Azman was greeted by Chow as he arrived at the polling centre in a wheelchair, accompanied by his family.
The Sungai Bakap by-election features a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin and Perikatan Nasional candidate Abidin Ismail.
The seat became vacant following the death of the incumbent, Nor Zamri Latiff from Perikatan Nasional, on May 24 due to stomach inflammation.