KINABATANGAN: Voter turnout in the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections remained below 40% as of 11am on Saturday (Jan 24), with the Election Commission urging voters to come out later in the day.
Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said turnout in the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat stood at 39.23%, while the Lamag state constituency recorded 38.45% as of the late morning update.
He said the lower turnout was not unusual for a by-election, noting that the short campaign period and proximity to previous polls could have led some voters to be outside the constituency.
“Some voters may be outside the area and unable to return, but we still hope voters will take the opportunity to come out and vote later this afternoon,” he told reporters.
Ramlan said the Election Commission had so far received five reports of election offences, comprising four cases related to campaign offences and one involving provocation.
“All the reports are currently being handled by the monitoring bodies appointed by the commission and do not involve police action at this stage,” he said.
He added that the overall polling process remained calm and under control, with election laws and standard operating procedures in place to address any issues that may arise.
Polling centres are scheduled to close by 5pm, though some remote centres may close earlier due to logistical constraints.
Ramlan said the earliest results are expected to be announced at around 10pm, subject to weather and logistical conditions.
