KINABATANGAN: Barisan’s Lamag incumbent Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin cast his vote at SK Bukit Garam, here at 11.20am on Saturday (Nov 29).
The Sabah Barisan chairman and Sabah Umno chief said he would visit several other polling districts in the constituency before flying to Kota Kinabalu later on Saturday to join Barisan leaders as they await the results of the Sabah state election.
SK Bukit Garam is serving as a polling centre for the first time to accommodate the increase in voters in Lamag, which now has 13,859 registered voters.
The voting process remained smooth despite the scorching heat, which did not deter voters from turning up early. Electoral staff and police maintained orderly flows throughout the morning as voters of various age groups arrived steadily.
Lamag is one of the key seats to watch in this election, as Bung seeks to defend the seat. In the 2020 Sabah state polls, he won Lamag with a 661-vote majority.
This time, the contest is a six-cornered fight involving Bung, Johainizamshah Johari of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, Salahuddin @ Salehuddin Anoi of Parti Impian Sabah, Saifulah Lokman of Warisan, Miha @ Mohd Ismail Ayob who is contesting as an independent using the key symbol, and Mazlin Madali of Perikatan.
The largest group of voters in the constituency is aged 21–29 (3,509 voters), followed by those aged 30–39 (3,356 voters). A total of 1,126 voters aged 18–20 are casting their ballots for the first time in a Sabah state election.
Lamag is among the constituencies formed during the 2020 redelineation exercise, carved out from parts of Kuamut and Sekong.
In the previous Sabah election, the constituency recorded a 70.77% voter turnout. With COVID-era SOPs no longer in place, turnout this time is expected to improve.
