Kimanis polls closes with expected record turnout
LIVE REPORT
Polls close with an expected record turnout
5pm - Polls for the Kimanis by-election have closed. Counting has begun.
The final turnout will be announced later. However, turnout as of 4pm was 76.14 percent.
This means the final turnout will likely cross the 80 percent mark, making in the highest turnout for all the 10 by-elections since the 14th general election in 2018.
The last by-election to see a similarly high turnout was the Rantau by-election in April last year where 79.31 percent of the electorate there turned up to vote.
This concludes Malaysiakini's coverage of the Kimanis by-election polling process.
For our live coverage of the results, kindly click here.
Bung Moktar raises vote-buying suspicion
4.29pm - Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin raises suspicion on vote-buying.
He claims BN activists spotted some 100 people queuing in front of a house in Bongawan, Kimanis.
"Around 100 people were queuing at a house today. I asked them (my party workers) to take pictures. I don't know if they (those queueing) got (inducement) or not," he says.
Pressed if it was money, Bung says he is unsure but questioned why people would queue in front of a house on polling day.
"We don't have proof because we weren't allowed in but we suspect (vote-buying), that's why we sent our lawyers to make a police report," he says.
BN pushing its supporters to vote
3.45pm - BN sources believe their "getting out the vote" (GOTV) efforts have seen more BN supporters going to the polls compared to the average turnout.
They estimate that BN supporters' turnout this time is around 7.5 percent higher than the average.
However, it still falls short of their targeted 80 percent turnout for what they consider as "white voters" (BN supporters).
There is slightly more than one hour of voting left before polls close.
Turnout exceeds 70 percent
3pm - The turnout for the Kimanis by-election stands at 70.20 percent.
The final turnout in the previous by-election in Tanjung Piai was 74.43 percent.
With two hours of voting left, the final turnout for Kimanis will likely exceed that of Tanjung Piai.
The turnout is also significantly higher than the Sandakan by-election.
Sandakan, which was the first by-election in Sabah after the 2018 general election, only saw a final turnout of 54.4 percent.
Shafie pleased with smooth election process
12.30pm - Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal says he is pleased with the smooth voting process in Kimanis this morning.
He adds his hopes that the democratic process would take place calmly and efficiently to enable voters to discharge their responsibilities.
"We want everyone to vote and fulfil their responsibilities," he said when met at SK Kelatuan to monitor the Kimanis by-election.
The Election Commission announced that as of 12 noon, the voter turnout was at 50.37 percent.
EC: Four complaints of election violations during campaign
10.34am - The Election Commission tweets that it has received four complaints of election violations during the campaign up to 8am today.
Three are against BN for posting campaign material outside the Kimanis electoral boundary (one count) and campaign material that violates Section 4A of the Election Offence Act 1954 which covers material that promoting feelings of ill-will or hostility.
The fourth is against Parti Warisan Sabah for posting campaign material in a public space (a school).
Additionally, reports the EC, 28 police reports were filed over the campaign period.
The EC also reports a 31.22 percent voter turnout as at 10 am.
Shafie swings by
10.30am - Sabah Chief Minister and Warisan president Mohd Shafie Apdal pays a visit to the SMK Bongawan polling centre.
Shafie is going around as a pillion rider on a motorcycle.
Fence-sitter to vote based on current issues
10.30am - At SK Kimanis, the polling centre for Kimanis Estate, 31-year-old Asnidah Abas admits it is a dilemma for her to make a decision on whom to support.
The homemaker who resides in Sandakan is apparently a fence-sitter who will vote based on current issues.
Asnidah says she had voted for both BN and Warisan in the past.
"This time, my vote goes to Warisan, but not wholeheartedly," she says.
While noting Warisan has a good government, she says people on the ground feel the sting of inflation and the government is making things worse by cutting on expenses which used to help people.
She admits the Sabah Temporary Pass might be a good measure in terms of gathering data on migrants in the state.
She, however, raises concern that the PSS holders may be given citizenship.
Najib shares video of voter alleging bribe
9.30am - Ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak shares a Facebook post originally posted by Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki last night in which an elderly voter supposedly from Membakut alleges that he received RM385 from Warisan on the eve of the polling.
"I remember being told - take the money from Warisan but vote for BN," says the man in the video.
BN man casts his vote
9.14am - BN candidate Mohamad Alamin casts his vote at SK Our Lady of Fatima, Kelatuan.
He meets the media and expresses his dissatisfaction with the voting process this morning.
He adds that he hopes the voter process would go through more smoothly.
Mohamad, who is accompanied by his supporters, is seen exchanging pleasantries with the public.
Among the other voters are Zakaria Muhamud, Zaidi Muhamud and Zaki Muhamud who tell Malaysiakini they are thrilled to be able to fulfill their responsibilities as voters today.
Asked about his hopes for a candidate, Zakari said he hopes the elected representatives will be able to carry out their duties in a trust.
The 34-year-old hopes that more employment opportunities can be generated for young people and that the problem of illegal immigrants can be effectively addressed.
The EC announces that as of 9am, voter turnout is at 17.19 percent.
Warisan candidate casts his ballot
9am - Warisan candidate Karim Bujang arrives at the SK Kimanis polling centre to cast his vote.
He says that he is glad to do his part as a voter.
"I am relieved that the two weeks of campaigning has ended," he tells the media.
"I am in high spirits," he says.
He hopes the voters would come out early to vote as he expected rain in the late afternoon as predicted by the Malaysia Meteorological Department.
Kampung folks unperturbed about PSS issue - voter
8.40am - Farmer Joseph Yusof (below) says he voted for Warisan's Karim Bujang for the sake of development in Kimanis.
"I wish the government will build roads and drainage system as the place is flooded every time it rains.
"I am not concerned about the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) as it is not threatening to the kampung (folks), only the urban areas," he says.
The 52-year-old says the migrants who reside in the kampungs work in the estates and are friendly.
Many voters there before polling centres open
8.10am - Close to a hundred voters have already arrived at the SK Mandahan polling centre by the time it opens.
The voters are queuing up at their respective streams to wait for their turn to cast their ballot.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Asbi Ahmad says he is transported here together with other voters by a driver to cast their ballots.
The driver is given RM50 to RM60 saguhati compensation for petrol fees to pick up the voters as he uses his own car.
"In our case, the driver ferried 10 voters to the polling centre," says the 58-year-old farmer.
He says the payment is reasonable as this polling district alone is huge and some live 10 kilometres away from the polling station.
"Moreover, there are disabled voters and the elderly."
He says some voters reside outside Kimanis and stay as far as 40 kilometres away from the constituency.
He, however, declines to reveal which party foots the transportation bills for the voters.
Asbi says he will vote for Warisan for development and he looks forward to better infrastructure, including tarred roads and clean and adequate water supply.
He says he has faith in the government handling the Sabah Temporary Pass (PSS) and migrant issues.
"It is impossible for a government to do something which oppresses the people," he says.
Kimanis kicks off - voting begins
7.30am - Polls for the Kimanis by-election are set to officially open.
This contest is between BN's Mohamad Alamin and Parti Warisan Sabah's Karim Bujang. BN is supported by PAS and local opposition parties while Warisan is backed by Pakatan Harapan.
The campaign began on Jan 4 and lasted two weeks.
Pollsters put Warisan narrowly in the lead but that has been challenged by BN leaders.
The by-election was called after the Election Court voided Anifah Aman's slim 156-vote majority win in Kimanis in 2018 on the grounds that the Election Commission (EC) failed to comply with the proper election procedures.
In the last general election, Anifah, who represented BN, won 11,942 votes to Karim's 11,786 votes. A third candidate, Harapan Rakyat's Jaafar Ismail received 1,300 votes.
Anifah sat out of this by-election but is backing BN despite having quit Umno.
There are 29,664 eligible voters in this by-election.
READ MORE:
Warisan favourites in Kimanis but needs to maintain drive to ensure victory
Kimanis by-election: Do or die mission for Warisan, BN
What is PSS and why is it important to the Kimanis by-election?
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