Permatang Pauh by-election: Polling centres close, 73% voter turnout

(The Star) – About 73% of the 71,252 registered voters cast their ballots for the Permatang Pauh by-election on Thursday, lower than the 80% expected by the Election Commission (EC).

As at the close of polls at 5pm, voter turnout was 73.71%, according to the EC, with official figures to be released later.

The EC is expected to announce the result of the by-election at 9pm.

A total of 25 polling centres opened at 8am to enable voters to discharge their responsibilities as citizens.

After polling centres closed at 5pm, ballot boxes were brought to the National Youth Skills Institute in Berapit for tallying.

A total of 549 voters of the total numbers 627 early voters cast their ballots on May 3. There are also 11 postal voters in Permatang Pauh.

The by-election saw a four-cornered fight between Permatang Pauh Umno division secretary Suhaimi Sabudin (Barisan Nasional), PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, PRM candidate Azman Shah Othman and independent Salleh Ishak.

The seat fell vacant after incumbent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to a five-year jail sentence for sodomy, losing his eligibility as the Permatang Pauh MP when the Pardons Board rejected his appeal against the conviction.

In the May 2013 general election, Anwar won the seat by a majority of 11,721 votes.

He polled 37,090 votes to Barisan’s Mazlan Ismail, who polled 25,369 votes.

Voter turnout for Permatang Pauh for the last general election was 88.5%.