GE15: Padang Serai early voting closes at 2pm

KULIM: The early voting centre at the Kulim district police headquarters for the Padang Serai parliamentary constituency in the 15th general election closed at 2pm on Saturday (Dec 3).

A total of 74 personnel and police officers began casting their ballots at 8am today.

Kedah police chief, Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said the total number of voters at the early voting station should have been 76 but two did not turn up.

"One of them, a police personnel passed away while another was dismissed,” he said to reporters when met at the early voting centre here today.

Wan Hassan said the early voting process at the Kulim IPD went smoothly with 22 police personnel assigned to maintain order.

Besides that, he said police received five reports during the campaigning period which resulted in police having to conduct investigations under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"The investigation includes the statement made by a candidate in which we will refer the public prosecutor for further action," he said.

This morning, Kulim IPD CID personnel Sergeant Noor Pazilah Abdul Rahman became the first voter to cast her vote here.

Polling for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat was postponed to Dec 7 and early voting on Dec 3 following the death of the Pakatan Harapan candidate M. Karupaiya.

The Padang Serai parliamentary seat will see a six-cornered fight between Dr. Mohamad Sofee Razak (Pakatan), Datuk Azman Nasrudi (Perikatan Nasional), Datuk C. Sivaraj (Barisan Nasional), Hamzah Abd Rahman (Pejuang), Mohd Bakhri Hashim (Warisan) and Independent candidate Sreanandha Rao.

However, Warisan and Barisan have reportedly withdrawn from the contest for the seat and expressed support for the Pakatan candidate's campaign. - Bernama