Voters go to the polls in Sg Bakap by-election today

NIBONG TEBAL: A total of 39,151 registered voters will cast their ballots to elect a new representative in the Sungai Bakap state by-election today.

Nine polling centres with 65 channels will be opened from 8 am until 6 pm, and the vote-tallying process will be conducted at the Jawi Multipurpose Hall in Taman Desa Jawi.

In total, 39,279 voters are eligible to cast ballots, including 57 police personnel.

However, no early voting centre was opened despite the date for the process being set on July 2, after the Election Commission issued 128 postal ballots to eligible voters.

The by-election sees a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Abidin Ismail. It is being held following the death of incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24.

Only Abidin will cast his vote today at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Duri, as Joohari is a voter in the Sungai Acheh state constituency, which is part of the Nibong Tebal parliamentary constituency.

Nor Zamri, also Nibong Tebal PAS chairman, defeated PH candidate Nurhidayah Che Rose with a majority of 1,563 votes to win the Sungai Bakap state seat in the Penang state election held in August last year.

The Sungai Bakap state poll is the eighth by-election since GE15. Previous by-elections were for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat in Terengganu, the Simpang Jeram state seat and the Pulai parliamentary seat in Johor, the Pelangai state seat in Pahang, the Jepak state seat in Sarawak, the Kemaman parliamentary seat in Terengganu and the Kuala Kubu Baharu state seat in Selangor.