PETALING JAYA: Polling for the country’s 13th general election closed at 5pm, with results expected in the next few hours.
The polls this time around is also expected to see a record turnout judging from the droves of voters who braved the rain in several parts of the country to cast their ballots.
The Election Commission (EC) is expected to provide details of the polls in the next couple of hours.
With polls closed, unofficial results of the elections based on parliamentary and state seats are expected to flood social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
As at 1pm, 7.9 million voters of the 13.3 million registered voters had cast their ballots nationwide today, the EC reported.
This works out to roughly about 60% voter turnout.
A total of 8,245 polling centres have been opened throughout the country to enable 12,992,661 voters to cast their ballots. Some 272,387 voters, comprising mainly military and police personnel, had cast their ballots as early voters on April 30.
The voter percentage in this election is expected to see a sharp increase despite scattered downpour in several parts of the country.
Although, some parts of the country is experiencing rain, crowds are still thronging polling stations to perform their basic right to vote.
Earlier, long lines greeted voters when polling started today in the country’s 13th general election while the indelible ink which does not stick to the nails has taken the limelight so far.
While no major untoward incidents were reported so far, voting in many constituencies throughout the country is seeing high voter turnout, with long queues outside polling centres.
Voters are complaining of the long lines, some stretching out to roads outside polling centres. Some braved the hot sunny weather under cover of umbrellas and newspapers.
Although the Meteorological Department has forecast clear skies, many expect a heavy downpour in the afternoon and early evening based on the weather pattern over the last week.
Ink fiasco
Meanwhile, some voters and opposition leaders have been sounding alarm bells, claiming that the indelible ink used by the Election Commission (EC) to mark those who have voted, can easily be washed off with soap or detergents.
A voter in Lembah Pantai even demonstrated to the media that the ink can be washed off with detergent. He did this immediately after casting his ballot, just to prove the EC is wrong.
But the EC is unperturbed that the ink can be washed off.
EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said even if the ink can be washed off, a voter cannot possibly vote twice as he or she would have only one MyKad number.
He said this when queried about the string of reports that the ink, introduced to thwart double voting, disappears after being washed with just soap and water.
“I am not worried about indelible ink being washed off today because tomorrow you cannot vote. How are you going to vote without a MyKad number? Your name is only stated once,” he told reporters at SMK Bukit Bandaraya polling centre in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, here.
In some constituencies “foreigners” were “arrested” when they queued up to cast their ballot papers.
In Morib, four Pakistanis were hauled up by opposition supporters after they were found queuing to vote.
Missing logo
However, quick intervention by the police and EC officials prevented an ugly scene. The four were later “released” after the police found that they were Malaysian citizens with foreign parentage. After a few anxious moments, two “foreigners” were back in line while the other two were still being investigated.
In Bestari Jaya, formerly Batang Berjuntai, Selangor, the opposition is complaining that its party logo was missing from the ballots for the state seat of Ijok and the parliamentary constituency of Kuala Selangor.
They also alleged that voters were given pencils to mark their ballots at Sekolah Menengah Mengkuang in Penang.
It is also claimed that one EC returning officer at the Gombak parliamentary constituency did not bring Form 13, which is used to verify the number of ballots available in the room prior to voting.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor cast their ballots at the polling centre in Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Pekan.
Najib, who is defending the Pekan seat which he held since 1976, faces PKR’s Mohd Fariz Abdul Talib in a straight fight.
In Muar, Johor, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and wife cast their ballots at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sri Muar, Jalan Meriam.
In Marang, Terengganu, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang voted at Sekolah Kebangsaan Rusila at 8.05am. Abdul Hadi is defending both the Marang parliamentary seat and the Rhu Rendang state seat.
In Permatang Pauh, Penang, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who is defending the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, has cast his ballot at Sekolah Kebangsaan Penanti at 9am.
Polling stations open today at 8am allowing about 13 million registered voters to cast their ballot papers to decide on their respective representatives for the State Legislative Assemblies and Parliament.
There are 8,789 polling centres with 26,219 polling streams, nationwide.
The polling stations will close at 5pm and official results are expected to be out from 8pm onwards.
A total of 13,268,002 voters are expected to decide their representative for 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats. Of the 13.2 million, up to 2,345,863 million are young voters. Up to 12,992,661 voters are ordinary voters.
There are a total of 579 candidates vying for the 222 parliament seats and 1,322 candidates eyeing the 505 state assembly seats.
Independents created a record this time around. Of the 579 parliamentary candidates, there are 79 Independents. Of the 1,322 state assembly seat candidates, 190 are Independents.
