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[Live updates]: Nenggiri by-election

9.30pm: Barisan Nasional officially won the Nenggiri by-election after its candidate Mohd Asmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani garnered 9,091 votes against Perikatan Nasional's Rizwadi Ismail who received 5,739 votes.

The result was announced by Returning Officer Nik Raisnan Daud at the Dewan Perdana vote-tallying centre at 9.30pm.


9pm: Barisan Nasional is still leading in the Nenggiri by-election with a 3,804 vote majority from 36 of the 48 ballot boxes.


8.30pm: Muafakat Nasional chairman and Pas member Tan Sri Annuar Musa hinted at Perikatan Nasional's defeat when he said unofficial result showed BN has won Nenggiri with a simple majority.

"Let us congratulate the winner (of the by-election). Best of luck to carry out the responsibility entrusted to you.

"The people in Nenggiri have made their decision and we should respect such a decision," he said in a post on his Facebook page.


8pm: Barisan Nasional is leading the Nenggiri by-election with a 1,599 votes majority from 16 of 48 ballot boxes.


7pm: Barisan Nasional is leading after wins at four Orang Asli settlements in the Nenggiri by-election, according to the latest tallies by the Election Commission dashboard.

The settlements are Pos Simpor, Pos Tohoi, Pos Jenera and Pos Gob.


6pm: The polling process for the Nenggiri state assembly by-election has concluded after all 20 polling centres that were opened since 8am have officially closed.

A total of 14 polling centres closed at 6pm., while four centres closed at 2pm and two others closed at 3pm.

Immediately after the polling centres closed, all ballot boxes from 46 polling channels were transported to the Official Vote Counting Centre located at Dewan Kompleks Perdana for the counting and tallying of votes.


5.30pm - Umno secretary-general Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has claimed that the party has won in six polling district centres with a majority of 1,003 votes.

In his facebook post, he said the polling district centres were in Tohoi, Sungai Puian, Sungai Jenera, Kuala Sungai, Pos Simpor, and Sungai Wias.

He added the four of the polling district centres were closed early today.


5pm - Almost 72 per cent voters in the Nenggiri state constituency have cast their ballots during the polling day for the by-election today.

The Election Commission, in its hourly updates, said the voter turnout had reached 71.87 per cent as of 4pm today.


4pm - Voter turnout for the Nenggiri by-election has reached 68.21 per cent as of 3pm today, the Election Commission said.

It was previously reported 20,216 eligible ordinary voters are expected to cast their ballots today.

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional is optimistic that the coalition representing the unity government for the Nenggiri by-election could win the state seat.

Its chairman and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said despite having a slim chance to win the seat, the outcome of the by-election will help Umno to maintain its political presence in the Pas-led state.


3.30pm - Police have received 18 reports related to a number of suspected election offences since nomination day on Aug 3.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said investigation papers had been opened into six of the 18 reports.

He added that the alleged offences included incitement and posting offensive remarks.


3pm - A total of 63.58 per cent of voters have cast their ballots for the Nenggiri state seat by-election as of 2pm today, the Election Commission said.

The figure exceeded the voter turnout target of 60 per cent set by the EC for this by-election, which is seeing a straight fight between Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.


2pm - EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun is confident that EC can achieve the target of 60 per cent voter turnout for the Nenggiri state seat by-election today.

"We have targetted more than 60 percent of voter turnout for the polling day today.

"Based on the trend of voter turnout since this morning, we are highly confident that the number of voters turnout for the Nenggiri by-election will reach our target," he said after visiting SK Jeram Tekoh to inspect the voting process for the by-election.


1.30pm - A newlywed couple stole the spotlight at the SMK Sungai Asap polling centre today.

The bridegroom Mohd Hafizuddin Hashim, 25, said that he was accompanying his wife, Siti Nor Atikah Ab Ghani, to cast her vote.

"I'm from Selangor, and my wife is from Sungai Asap. Although today is our wedding day, we chose to come here right after our akad nikah (solemnisation) this morning," he said.


1pm - Voter turnout for the Nenggiri state seat by-election has exceeded the 50 per cent mark as of noon today.

The Election Commission, in its hourly updates, said 51.03 per cent of the 20,216 eligible ordinary voters have cast their ballots.


12.40pm - An octogenarian did not let his disability stop him from casting his vote in the Nenggiri by-election today.

Nik Sin Che Mat, 82, said he had been waiting for the moment since two months ago.

"After the Nenggiri state seat was declared vacant by the state assembly in June, I have been counting the days until polling day.

"It is not that I've never voted before, but I feel that I want to cast again as I'm worried that I could not make it in the future," said the father of 10 from Kampung Pulau.


12pm - Voters from three villages in the Serian polling district had to use boats to reach the nearest polling centre after their homes were affected by floods.

It is estimated that around 300 villagers were stranded after continuous heavy downpours last night caused the water level in a nearby river to rise and burst into the villages.

The flooding in the villages reached up to two meters following the heavy rain, causing water levels to rise significantly early this morning.

The affected villages are Kampung Batu 6, Kampung Batu 10 and Kampung Batu 11.


11.30am - A minor commotion broke out between supporters of parties contesting in the Nenggiri state seat by-election near one of the polling centres at SMK Sungai Asap here.

The incident, which took place at 9.50am, prompted Gua Musang district police chief Superintendent Sik Choon Foo to intervene and disperse the situation.

The situation was resolved when both groups were asked by the police to return to their respective tents.


10.30am - A total of 25.66 per cent of eligible voters have cast their ballots for the Nenggiri state seat by-election as of 10am today, the Election Commission said.

The EC previously stated that 20,216 eligible ordinary voters are expected to cast their ballots today.


9.30am - More than 10 per cent of eligible voters had cast their ballots within an hour after the 20 polling centres for the Nenggiri by-election opened at 8am.

The Election Commission, in its hourly updates, said the voter turnout had reached 10.9 per cent as of 9am today.


9am - Akmal Haikal Aliyasok is excited that he woke up as early as 6am for the "big day" today.

The Nenggiri by-election marks the first time that the 18-year-old will cast his vote.

"This was a new experience for me. It is my first time to vote in an election," he said when met at a polling centre in Bertam Lama here today.


8.40am - Among the earliest who cast their votes today were the two candidates contesting in the by-election.

Barisan Nasional candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani was spotted entering a polling centre in Bertam Lama at 8.30am.

Clad in dark baju batik, the Kelantan Umno youth chief was accompanied by his wife Nur Kamilah Mat Zain, 37.

Norkamila, who is seven-month pregnant, also cast her vote at the same polling centre.

Perikatan Nasional candidate Rizwadi Ismail also cast his ballot there.

Accompanied by his wife Che Mariam Che Noh, Rizwadi, fondly known as Ustaz Wadi, arrived at the polling centre at 8.40am.


8am - Zakaria Mamat, a 64-year-old rubber tapper from Kampung Bertam Lama, became the first voter at Tabika Sri Bakawali today. The father of 14 children arrived at the polling centre at 7.45 am. He did not go out to tap rubber today because he was excited to vote in the Nenggiri state assembly by-election.

"I felt nervous and woke up as early as 5.30am because I was eager to go out and vote," he said.


AFTER a 14-day campaign, the day has finally arrived for the constituents of Nenggiri to go to the polls and cast their votes for a new state assemblyman.

Some 20,259 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the by-election, which was called after the seat was declared vacant on June 19 by Kelantan state assembly speaker, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah.

This came about after its former assemblyman, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, ceased to be a member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) on June 13.

In the state elections last year, Mohd Azizi, who contested using a Pas logo, defeated Barisan Nasional candidate, Ab Aziz Yusoff, with a majority of 810 votes.

This time, the by-election is witnessing a straight fight between Mohd Azmawi Fikri, representing the Unity Government, and Pas candidate, Mohd Rizwadi Ismail, representing Perikatan Nasional (PN).

According to the Election Commission (EC), a total of 20 polling centres with 46 voting streams will open simultaneously at 8am. Of these, 14 polling centres will close at 6pm, while six will close earlier due to a smaller number of voters.

Stay tuned to the New Straits Times for live, real-time coverage of the by-election.

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