KIMANIS: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) candidate Datuk Karim Bujang casts his vote for the Kimanis by-election at 9am today.
The five-term assemblyman arrived at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kimanis polling centre at 8.50am, here, with his entourage.
"I would like to advise all voters to come early as the Meteorological department forecasts that there will be rain in the afternoon.
"After this, the leadership told me to visit all 19 polling stations starting from SK Kimanis here," Karim said, adding he felt less stress today compared to the campaign period as he managed to get more hours of sleep last night.
As early as 7am, Kimanis constituents were seen queueing outside the school compound before the polling began at 7.30am.
Among them include Osman Tibo, 87, from Kampung Baru Kimanis who was accompanied by his son Jainudin, 42.
"We arrived at about 7.40am and exercised our rights by 8am," said Osman who had voted several times since the United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) government in the 1960s.
Also seen were senior citizen couple Md Nooh Sarudin, 89 and Dayang Rahmah Talip, 78 from Kampung Kimanis Baru.
"We also came with 40 children and grandchildren at this polling centre."
The Kimanis parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Federal Court upheld the Election Court's ruling in which former member of parliament Datuk Seri Anifah Aman's victory for the seat during 14th General Election was declared null and void.
The by-election today sees a straight fight between Karim and Barisan Nasional's (BN) Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
The vote counting will be held at Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Dun Banir in Beaufort.