KUALA LUMPUR – Millions of Malaysians in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Penang are gearing up for an eventful day as they head to the polling stations today to exercise their right to vote for their respective state governments.
The voting process will kick off at 8am and continue throughout the day until the official closure at 6pm, although some stations are expected to end polling earlier.
Today’s state elections primarily involve a showdown between the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional unity government and Perikatan Nasional (PN), with a total of 572 contenders competing across 245 state seats.
The Election Commission (EC) has noted that young voters, particularly those aged between 21 and 29, make up the largest demographic among the total 9,773,571 registered in the electoral roll. Within this demographic, the 21 to 29 age group holds the highest number of voters, totaling 2,169,120, closely followed by the 30 to 39 age group with 2,163,982 voters.
Among the contested seats, 51 will witness three-party competitions, 13 will feature four-party rivalries, and a rare five-party contest will take place in one seat. Additionally, 181 seats will witness direct one-on-one contests.
PN has fielded the most candidates at 245, with 78 candidates running under the PAS banner. PH is represented by 138 candidates, while BN has nominated 108 candidates.
Meanwhile, parties outside the established coalitions, such as Muda has offered up 19 candidates, Party Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) has 13 candidates, and the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has four.
Join us as we bring you live updates on this exciting day! – August 12, 2023
6.05pm: Polling for the six state elections and Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election closed at 6pm – counting of votes begins.
5.24pm: The counting of early voting ballots for the six state elections and the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election has begun. The counting process has been broadcast live on the Election Commission’s Facebook page since 4pm today.
4.54pm: Voter turnout as of 4pm – Terengganu surges further ahead with (70%) followed closely by Kedah (68%), Penang (67%), Selangor (65%), Negri Sembilan (62%) and Kelantan (56%)
4.45pm: The low turnout at the Kelantan state elections so far has prompted netizens to speculate on the possible downfall of the PAS-led government after reigning for the past 33 years.
4.05pm: Voter turnout as of 3pm – Terengganu surges ahead with (64%) followed closely by Kedah (63%), Penang (60%), Selangor (58%), Negri Sembilan (56%) and Kelantan (51%)
3.45pm: Concerns over low voter turnout in Kelantan has prompted PAS to issue a statement calling for voters to turn up instead of staying away in protest.
3.10pm: Voter turnout as of 2pm – Terengganu are neck to neck with Kedah at (56%) each, followed by Penang (53%), Selangor (51%), Negri Sembilan (49%), and Kelantan (45%).
2.20pm: Voter turnout as of 1pm – Terengganu leads with 50%, followed by Kedah (49%), Penang (46%), Selangor (44%), Negri Sembilan (42%), and Kelantan (40%).
2.12pm: With only a few hours left until voting ends for the state elections today, the atmosphere at the polling station for DUN KINRARA in SMK Puncak Jalil seems quiet.
“Not many people,” said an EC officer there.
1.45pm: SUBANG JAYA incumbent Michelle Ng has expressed concern on her social media platforms that voter turnout has been underwhelming in her state constituency.
As such, she has called on voters to come and vote at SMK SS17. However, the EC officer at the school told Scoop that the voter turnout has steadily increased for all age groups.
She added that voters may come in the afternoon to avoid queues.
1.20pm: Voter turnout as of 12pm is at Selangor (38%), Negri Sembilan (35%), Penang (38%), Kedah (41%), Kelantan (34%) and Terengganu (42%), according to EC.
12.40pm: According to the EC staff at SK Taman Kosas for DUN LEMBAH JAYA, there has been a steady stream of voters coming in.
12.00pm: EC says voter turnout as of 10am, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan (19%), Kedah and Penang (20%) and Terengganu (22%).
11.50am: A staunch Pakatan Harapan supporter has been warned by the authorities for cheering with the party flag about 50m away from the SK Sungai Tua Baharu polling station.
11.31am: EC official, Mohd Izraq Fikri, has revealed that 20-30% of the voters who have cast their votes at the SK Sungai Tua Baharu polling station are senior citizens, and it is expected that young voters will be seen in the late afternoon.
11.30am: Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said in a press conference in HULU KELANG that the authorities have opened a total of 131 investigation papers during the election campaign.
He added that there were no 3R (race, royalty, religion) issues reported during the campaign season as most cases were for mischief incidents.
11.15am: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali cast their votes for the ANAK BUKIT state seat at SK Titi Gajah today at 9.22am.
Dr Mahathir, when met by reporters, said that as of this morning, he has not seen many voters at the polling centres and has called for the people of Kedah to come out and vote.
The 98-year-old former Langkawi MP said voting in this state elections is important to determine which party will be the state government.
“Sometimes our people don’t care so they don’t go out to vote. They should go out to vote because this will determine their future. It is an irresponsible act to not vote.”
11.14am: Buggy service is available for the elderly at SM Bandar Anggerik in Seksyen 6, Shah Alam. It is some 70m from the entrance to the school premises.
11.05am: Caretaker Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari says only 10% of the voters have arrived to cast their votes, and he anticipates a higher voter turnout once they finish work and before it starts raining.
11.02am: PN’s JENERI incumbent and caretaker Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor arrives at SK Bandar Baharu Beris Jaya in Sik, Kedah. He is being greeted by a large number of voters.
11.00am: According to the EC, the turnout percentage as of 9am in Selangor, Terengganu, Penang, Kedah is 10% respectively; Negri Sembilan (9%) and Kelantan (8%).
10.40am: It has been slow going for the polling station at SK Klang Gate. Media members are awaiting the arrival of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, who is expected to visit the polling station soon.
10.35am: Caretaker Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s elder brother Shabudin Md Nor cast his ballot at SK Bandar Baharu Beris Jaya in Sik, Kedah.
10.30am: Seventy-year-old voter Nagamma Kuppan says that she has been voting since the age of 21 and that it brings her great joy whenever she votes for the country and the state of Selangor. She was at SK Sungai Kertas, DUN SUNGAI TUA.
Meanwhile, it is not a good day for a 25-year-old voter known as Nadira as her car battery died after casting her vote at Bukit Bintang Boys’ secondary school for DUN BUKIT GASING.
“I’m okay. This is normal. After all, my car battery was due for a change and I am getting a new one now,” she said.
10.20am: Caretaker Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari arrives at SK Sungai Kertas to visit the voters of SUNGAI TUA, a constituency he hopes to retain. He also took the opportunity to take some selfies with voters outside of the polling station.
10.15am: While vehicles had to park miles away from the polling centre at SK Taman Dato’ Harun I to vote for DUN TAMAN MEDAN, a resident decided to use a parking bay right in front of the polling centre to dry clothes.
10.12am: Activist and theatre actor, Andre D. D’Cruz, attracted attention with his ‘Saya Anak Malaysia’ t-shirt when he showed up at the Bukit Bintang Boys’ secondary school for DUN BUKIT GASING.
D’Cruz said the landslide tragedy in Genting Highlands in 1995, which claimed the life of his friend, was the turning point for him to become a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
10.04am: Even though SEMENYIH town is congested with traffic, it is a fairly smooth process at the polling station in SJK(C) Sing Ming.
10.00am: A vendor near the SMK Bandar Baru Bangi polling station for DUN SG RAMAL said he observed that the turnout seemed lower as compared to the general election in November. He quipped that the young voters are not yet awake.
9.57am: The number of voters coming in has slowed down at SK Seksyen 7, while queues are beginning to get shorter. Channels 3 and 4 of the KOTA DAMANSARA polling centre consistently have the longest queues.
Nonetheless, a voter who goes by Chen has lauded the efficient management of the EC officers.
“I waited for about 30 minutes, but the officers have been doing a good job. I have healthy legs, so I had no problem,” Chen briefly told Scoop.
Several elderly voters also remarked that the officers were accommodating. A pair of siblings in their 70s, Jamaludin and Khatijah, shared that it only took them 10 minutes to queue and vote.
Several fans have been placed on each channel to help with ventilation as voters queue up.
9.50am: Senior citizen, 82, Johariah Endut says she has never missed a chance to vote in her life and will continue fulfilling her responsibility as a Malaysian during elections.
Even though she has difficulty walking, she did not bring her own wheelchair to the polling centre as she was sure that the EC would provide one for her. She later said her voting process went smoothly and EC personnel had been very helpful.
She was accompanied by her son as they both cast their ballots for DUN TAMAN MEDAN at SMK Taman Dato’ Harun.
9.40am: More voters are turning up at the SMK Saujana Utama in Sungai Buloh to cast their ballots for DUN PAYA JARAS. However, the voting process remains smooth.
9.45am: It looks like voters are taking their chances with the overcast skies as many are walking to SMK Bandar Baru Bangi without umbrellas as they wait to vote for DUN SG RAMAL. Meanwhile, the elderly and the disabled are finding it difficult to make their walk up the slopes at the SK Lembah Jaya polling station in DUN LEMBAH JAYA.
9.41am: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cast his vote for the PERMATANG PASIR state seat SK Seri Penanti in Penang.
Accompanied by his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who also cast her vote at the same school, Anwar was seen donning a blue shirt and a bow tie.
Arriving at 9.30am, Anwar and Wan Azizah were greeted by Penang police chief Datuk Khaw Kok Chin and Seberang Perai Tengah district police Chief Assistant Tean Cheng San.
The Permatang Pasir seat is seeing a straight fight between the incumbent Muhammad Faiz Fadzil from Amanah and PN candidate Amir Hamzah Abdul Hashim.
9.36am: PH candidate for KOTA ANGGERIK Najwan Najmi and wife Syahira Razak walked several hundred metres to cast their ballots at SK Seksyen 7 Shah Alam.
Before going into the premises, he said “Assalamualaikum” to security and media personnel. Some 20 minutes later he left the centre after voting. He is in a three-corner fight with PN’s Mohamed Sukri Omar and Muda’s Azad Akhbar Khan.
9.35am: After casting his ballot for DUN HULU KELANG, PN’s candidate for the constituency Azmin said he is confident of his coalition securing the mandate to lead Selangor.
“Based on the support we have received throughout the campaign period, God willing, I’m excited to serve Hulu Kelang constituents once again.”
9.31am: Voters are starting to flock to Sekolah Rendah Damansara Jaya to cast their votes for DUN BANDAR UTAMA.
9.30am: Slowly but surely, a voter with his walking stick made his way to the SK Lembah Jaya to cast his ballot for DUN LEMBAH JAYA. He recently broke his leg in a road accident.Meanwhile, PN candidate for the TAMAN TEMPLER constituency, Zaidy Abdul Talib, arrives at SJK (C) Selayang Baru to cast his vote.
9.10am: Even with a leg injury, a voter walked patiently to the polling station at SMK Bandar Baru Bangi to cast his vote for DUN SG RAMAL. As a resident of 40 years, he expressed, “I’ve never missed a chance to vote so far.” He then walked back to his house some 400m away.
9.04am: Even though DUN DENGKIL’s SK Sungai Merab Luar polling station is fairly calm, voters have to park some 1km away.
9.01am: PN’s SUBANG JAYA candidate S. Gana Pragasam cast his vote at Sekolah Rendah Agama Kampung Sungai Ara. The actor-comedian left the People’s Progressive Party in 2019.
9.00am: Assisted with a walking stick, a senior citizen was the first to cast his ballot at SMK Saujana Utama in Sungai Buloh for DUN PAYA JARAS. He was helped to a wheelchair by an EC official.
Meanwhile, the pathway leading to SK (P) Methodist Klang, at Jalan Raya Barat, one of the many voting stations at DUN BANDAR BARU KLANG, is empty as voters are taking their time to come out and vote.
8.58am: PN’s HULU KELANG hopeful Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has arrived at SK Klang Gate polling station to cast his vote. Accompanied by his wife and a group of supporters, Azmin briefly told reporters that he is expecting high voter turnout.
8.46am: The downpour has slowed the voting process at SJKC Kuo Min in NILAI, Negri Sembilan where incumbent Arul Kumar of Pakatan Harapan takes on Gan Chee Biow from Perikatan Nasional, and independents Omar Mohd Isa and Yessu Samuel.
8.45am: Voter turnout at the SK Klang Gate polling station for DUN HULU KELANG appears to be muted, with media members far outnumbering the number of voters who have shown up so far.
8.43am: Eager young voters are spotted outside SMK Sultan Abdul Samad while they wait to cast their ballots for DUN BUKIT GASING.
8.40am: PH’s KOTA ANGGERIK candidate Najwan Najmi arrives with wife Syahira Razak to vote in SK Seksyen 7 Shah Alam.
8.30am: The crowd turnout at SK Teluk Pulai, Klang for DUN BANDAR BARU KLANG remains slow but steady. Compared to the general election last November, there are no crowds queuing beyond school premises.
8.29am: Caretaker Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has completed his voting process at SJKC Selayang Baru for DUN SUNGAI TUA which he is the incumbent.
8.23am: The voting centre in SK Sungai Merab Luar for DUN DENGKIL is relatively quiet with few voters coming in to cast their ballots.
8.20am: Bridegroom Abdul Qayim Roslan, 26, is among the first voters at SMK Seri Keramat for DUN BUKIT ANTARABANGSA before going for his akad nikah ceremony at 9.30am.
8.19am: Traffic is smooth at Sekolah Rendah Damansara Jaya as voters arrive to cast their ballots for the BANDAR UTAMA seat.
8.15am: Altimet has completed his voting process and will visit polling stations in LEMBAH JAYA. However, candidates are no longer allowed to canvass for votes as the election campaign period ended at 11.59pm yesterday.
A voter in a wheelchair is among the first to show up at SK Seksyen 7 Shah Alam to vote for the KOTA ANGGERIK seat.
8:10am: More than 100 voters for the KOTA DAMANSARA constituency have queued up at SK Seksyen 7 as they begin casting their votes. Nonetheless, the queues in each channel are not too long.
8.00am: It is a calm atmosphere here at SMK Bandar Baru Bangi polling station for the SG RAMAL seat as few voters came early to vote. The early birds also benefited from minimal wait time.
8.04am: PH’s LEMBAH JAYA candidate Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad, better known as Altimet, arrives at SMK Seri Keramat to cast his ballot for the BUKIT ANTARABANGSA constituency.
7.55am: Some voters outside the SMK Seri Keramat polling centre at the BUKIT ANTARABANGSA constituency brought their own stools while standing in line.
7.49am: Voters are on standby according to their respective voting channels here at SK Teluk Pulai in Klang. Voters are meanwhile slowly streaming into the school premises as they are set to vote for the BANDAR BARU KLANG seat.
7.45am: It is quiet at SMK Sultan Abdul Samad compared to the nearby Bukit Bintang Boys’ Secondary School and Sekolah Kebangsaan Sultan Alam Shah in DUN BUKIT GASING.
7.44am: The queue is growing outside the polling centre in SK Dato Haron in the TAMAN MEDAN state constituency in Selangor.
7.25am: Brother of PN’s HULU KELANG candidate Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali is the first voter to arrive at the SK Klang Gate polling centre. Mohamed Azwan Ali, who is better known as Diva AA, told media members that he had initially not wanted to vote as he had lost faith in the election process.
He said he eventually decided to cast his vote today because “every vote matters”.
7.06am: Early birds have turned up at Sekolah Rendah Agama Bukit Kapar Barat waiting for the polling centre to open for the SEMENTA seat so they can cast their votes while more cars are lining up the road around the school. By 7.37am, there is a long line of eager voters outside the school. – August 12, 2023
