State polls: Early voting over, process smooth in all six states

KUALA LUMPUR: The early voting process involving 97,388 individuals consisting of military and police personnel as well as their spouses for the elections in six states ended at 5pm on Tuesday (Aug 8) and proceeded without incident.

Early voting also took place for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election, involving 1,362 policemen and 35 military personnel along with their spouses.

ALSO READ: State polls: Nearly 39,000 army personnel, spouses cast ballots in early voting

For the elections in Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan, a total of 260 early voting centres with 377 channels were opened, while there were three early voting centres with five channels specifically for the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

In KEDAH, Kedah police spokesman SAC Alzafny Ahmad said 6,839 police personnel and their spouses fulfilled their responsibility to vote at 21 polling centres.

It also involved 710 senior officers and 5,976 personnel, along with 153 spouses from the 2nd Battalion of the General Operations Force (GOF) in Kulim and Bukit Kayu Hitam, as well as 4,755 military personnel and their spouses at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kem Lapangan Terbang Sungai Petani.

In NEGRI SEMBILAN, state police chief Datuk Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof said some 40% of police and military personnel participated in early voting with a total of 26,000 registered members.

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In SELANGOR, the state election office announced that 68 early polling centres involving 93 channels were opened.

Army Western Field commander Lt Gen Datuk Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim was present at the Sungai Buloh Camp to oversee the process at 8.30am.

In PENANG, a BK survey at the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment in Sungai Ara Camp found numerous personnel and their spouses queuing at the Congo Hall as early as 7.30am.

Another 1,645 military personnel and their spouses were involved in the early voting process at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Family House Seri Bayu in Butterworth.

ALSO READ: State polls: Early voting centres open for more than 98,000 army, police personnel and their spouses

In TERENGGANU, 6,957 voters, consisting of the Malaysian Armed Forces and police personnel, along with their spouses, took part in early voting at 29 polling centres involving 35 channels.

In KELANTAN, state police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun, together with 906 officers and personnel, fulfilled their responsibility to vote for the Kota Lama state seat at the Kelantan police contingent headquarters.

For the Kok Lanas state seat, returning officer Mohd Khairul Azhar Mohd Adnan said 869 military personnel and their spouses voted at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kem Desa Pahlawan, while 2,224 others via postal voting due to their involvement in the Keris Strike Exercise Series 28/2023, which took place from July 17 to Aug 4.

According to the Election Commission (EC), voter turnout in Terengganu and Kedah was at 93% each, Selangor and Negri Sembilan at 91%, with Kelantan and Penang at 90%.

Turnout for the Kuala Terengganu by-election was at 92%. – BK