Rantau by-election: Early voters cast ballots on Tuesday (April 9)

SEREMBAN (Bernama): Early voting for the Rantau state by-election began at 8am Tuesday (April 9) at two voting centres, namely the Sendayan air base and Rantau police station.

It involves 110 voters, with eight of them voting by post, while 74 others, comprising military personnel and their spouses, will vote at the Sendayan air base and 36, made up of police personnel, will vote at the Rantau police station.

The two polling stations will close at noon.

There are 20,926 registered voters in the Rantau state constituency, comprising 20,804 ordinary voters, four voters in absence, and the remaining are early voters.

A total of 11,615 of the total voters, or 55.51%, are Malay, Chinese (18.46% or 3,863), Indian (26% or 5,441) and others (0.03% or seven).

The Rantau by-election, polling for which is on April 13, is a four-cornered contest among anaesthetist Dr S. Streram of Pakatan Harapan (PH), Umno deputy president and former Negri Sembilan menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan of Barisan Nasional (BN) and two independent candidates, namely R. Malarvizhi, a housewife, and Mohd Nor Yassin, a former lecturer.

The by-election has been necessitated by the Federal Court dismissal of an appeal filed by Mohamad to set aside the Nov 16 Seremban Election Court decision declaring his unopposed victory in the 14th General Election (GE14) null and void.

In GE14, Mohamad was declared the winner of the seat after Dr Streram was prohibited from entering the nomination centre to submit his nomination papers because he did not have a pass issued by the EC. - Bernama