Navy personnel waiting in line to cast their votes at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pangkalan TLDM Kota Kinabalu. -Bernamapic
KOTA KINABALU: Not even the rain or the cloudy conditions could prevent the smooth running of the early voting process for the 17th Sabah State Election.
Among the early voting centres to experience rain on Tuesday (Nov 25) morning were Sabah Police Headquarters (IPK) Officers’ Mess, Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) Kem 5 Lok Kawi and Sekolah Kebangsaan Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (RMN) here.
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Election Commission (EC) staff had to provide umbrellas for the convenience of the early voters, comprising police and military personnel and their spouses, who turned up as early as 7.30am.
Among the earliest to turn up at the SAR Kem 5 Lok Kawi were the Commander of the 5th Division, Major General Datuk Noorrul Azril Ariffin and his wife Datin Noriza Md Rashid, while Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun was at the Sabah IPK Senior Officers' Mess polling centre.
Tanjung Keramat state seat candidates - Shah Alfie Yahya of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GSR) and Jeffery Nor Mohamed of Barisan Nasional (BN) - were also present to observe the early voting process at (SAR) Kem 5 Lok Kawi.
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Also present at the school was Eastern Field commander Lt-Gen Datuk Mohd Sofi Md Lepi.
There are 3,097 early voters at the SAR, comprising military personnel and their spouses.
Meanwhile, bright and sunny weather conditions were reported at several other early voting centres, including the 13th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Cenderawasih Camp, Lahad Datu; Multipurpose Block 15, 15th Battalion, PGA Sandakan, Sandakan; and the Tawau IPD.
Barisan candidate for the Tungku state seat Saleha Abdul Wahid also visited the early voting centre at Dewan Gagah Berani, 13th Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Cenderawasih Camp, Lahad Datu; while the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Segama, Romansa Lamin, was seen mingling with the security personnel at Dewan Mawar, Lahad Datu IPD.
Police and military personnel could be seen showing their inked fingers after voting at their respective early voting centres, witnessed by agents of the contesting party candidates.
In addition, the Election Academy also held a live broadcast this morning to provide information and monitor the smooth running of the ongoing early voting process.
A total of 58 early voting centres opened simultaneously at 8am today and will be closed in stages. However, all ballot papers will only be counted on polling day on Nov 29.
The campaigning period for the Sabah state election, which began on Nov 15, will end at 11.59am, Nov 28. - Bernama
