GE15 Live Updates by Selangor Journal
By Selangor Journal Team
6:06pm: After a 14-day campaign period, the waiting game begins in one of Malaysia’s most unpredictable general elections.
Polling stations closed at 6pm today in Peninsular Malaysia and 5.30pm in Sabah and Sarawak.
The Election Commission has confirmed the total voter turnout for GE15 stood at 70 per cent, as of 4pm.
5.25pm: With less than an one hour to go until polling stations nationwide are closed, the Election Commission stated that the voter turnout is recorded at 65 per cent as at 3pm, which is equivalent to 13.8 million voters.
5.10pm: There is no longer a crowd at the SMK Bukit Sentosa polling centre in Hulu Selangor after 5pm. Election Commission officers and medical professionals who screen Covid-19 patients are the only people left.
4.40pm: At 103 years old, Hawa Murad continues to carry out her voting duties for the 15th time at Sekolah Kebangsaan Parit Bakar, Muar, reported Utusan Malaysia. She was accompanied by her grandson, Mohamad Zairuddin Yassin, 42, who pushed her in to the polling station on a wheelchair provided by the Election Commission (EC).
Meanwhile, Sin Chew Daily reported 111-year-old Zhang Yizhao, borned in 1911, casted her vote for the 15th time at Sekolah Kebangsaan Labu, Negeri Sembilan. She insisted on casting her vote today even after persuasion from her family members to sit out this year.
4.20pm: According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, inclement weather expected to continue in most northern states (Kedah, Penang and Perak) and on the east coast (Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang) of Peninsular Malaysia as well as some parts of Sabah and Sarawak until 7pm.
4.00pm: The polling centre at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, experienced a power issue this morning. Pakatan Harapan candidate for the Kepong parliamentary seat Lim Lip Eng, however, said that the matter was resolved before 9am.
Speaking to Selangor Journal, the incumbent Kepong MP said he was not sure what caused the power outage and expressed disappointment over the disorganised voting process.
3.30pm: With less then a couple of hours to go, the Election Commission recorded a voter turnout of 58 per cent as at 2pm.
3.20pm: The hot weather did not stop voters from queuing up to cast their ballots at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Merab Luar, Sepang.
First time voter, Syazwani Husna Shahbi Saiful, 20, said she had to queue for more than three hours to get her turn to vote.
3.00pm: The campaign secretariat for Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) candidate for Gombak Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari stated that the act of setting up booths outside polling centres in Gombak by Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) have violated the Election Commission (EC) regulations.
According to the secretariat, both coalitions have also been found campaigning using their party’s logo at several locations including Dewan Beringin, Taman Seri Gombak, Pinggiran Batu Caves, Taman Gombak and Sekolah Vokasional Sungai Pusu.
Meanwhile, internet users reportedly questioned how PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang could cast a ballot while donning a vest bearing his party’s logo.
MalaysiaKini reported that this was following pictures of the incumbent Marang MP casting his ballot at SK Rusila in Marang, Terengganu, this morning while sporting a green vest with a PAS logo on the left breast.
According to the EC, voters, candidates and party workers are not allowed from wearing anything inside the voting station that bears the name, brand, symbol, or picture of a political party or a candidate, and those who do so would be turned away. This includes shirts, hats, and even facemasks.
2.30pm: Thunderstorms are expected in most northern states (Kedah, Penang and Perak) and on the east coast (Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang) of Peninsular Malaysia until 5pm, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department. Some parts of Sabah and Sarawak are likely to see inclement weather too.
2.20pm: The Election Commission recorded a 50 per cent voter turnout as at 1pm today, which is equivalent to some 10.6 million voters. In comparison to GE14, the EC registered a 55 per cent voter turnout at 1pm or 8.2 million voters.
1pm update – slowing down slightly.
+8% instead of +11% like the previous hour.
Ring up your friends. Get them out.
There are still 4 hours left to vote!!!
It's not over until the last centre closes. https://t.co/XwekrM3htr pic.twitter.com/yy12WvmCWB
— Thevesh (@Thevesh) November 19, 2022
2.10pm: Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) candidate for Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat Datuk R. Ramanan cast his vote at Sekolah Menengah Kuen Cheng, Kuala Lumpur, at 8.10am this morning.
As for Syahredzan Johan, the Harapan candidate for Bangi parliamentary seat had cast his ballot at Sekolah Menengah Taman SEA, Petaling Jaya 11am while incumbent Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, who is contesting the Damansara parliamentary seat completed his voting duties at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St Xavier Cawangan, Pulau Pinang, this morning.
1.40pm: Election Commission said that voter turnout is at 42 per cent as of 12pm.
1.20pm: Twins Ahmad and Muhammad Rosli were excited to be able to fulfil their responsibilities as voters for the first time today.
The 24-year-old voters at the Subang parliamentary seat finished casting their votes at Sekolah Rendah Agama Batu 13 Puchong at about 10am this morning via the special lane for people with disabilities (OKU), accompanied by their mother Junaidah Awang.
“It’s great to be able to vote for the first time, the process is smooth and it only takes 10 minutes,” said Muhammad when met.
Ahmad and his younger brother Muhammad are twins who were born joined at the chest to the groin before being separated in September 2002. They underwent surgery for 22 hours and 45 minutes at the King Fahd National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sponsored by the late King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
1.00pm: Bukit Melawati state assemblyman Juwairiya Zulkifli was delighted to see many young voters had come out to vote at the Sekolah Menangah Sains Kuala Selangor polling centre.
She said that this shows awareness among the youths in carrying out their civic duties.
“As soon as I arrived, I saw many young voters. We often hear that they would go out to vote later but as of 11am, many of them have turned up to cast their ballots and this is a good sign,” she said when met after casting her ballot at the centre.
12.50pm: The Election Commission has set November 24 as nomination day, December 3 for early voting and December 7 as polling day for the Tioman state seat in Pahang.
12.30pm: Voter turnout reported at 31 per cent as of 11am, says Election Commission.
11.50am: Clear skies are forecasted in Selangor and other states except in several districts in Johor and Sabah, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
11.30am: Election Commission officers estimated that nearly 3,000 young voters had come to the Sekolah Menengah Sains Kuala Selangor polling centre as of 11am this morning.
11.25am: As of 10am, 20 per cent voters had cast their ballots.
11.15am: As of 9am, voter turnout was reported at 9 per cent — Election Commission.
10.30am: Reporters and election observers reportedly encountered difficulties entering the SJKT Saraswathy polling station in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur. This followed a serious mishap at the polling station, where there had been no electricity since the morning and voters had to cast their ballots in the dark. MalaysiaKini reported that power was restored by Tenaga Nasional Berhad at around 9.30am and that the problem was due to a power trip.
10.00am: Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari and his wife Datin Seri Masdiana Muhamad cast their ballots at SJKC Selayang Baru.
9.50am: Menteri Besar and Harapan candidate for Gombak Dato’ Seri Aminudin Shari and his wife, Datin Seri Masdiana Muhamad, arrived at SJKC Selayang Baru.
8.45 am: Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) candidate for Kuala Selangor Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad arrived at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Ijok polling centre to cast his vote.
8.30am: Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) candidate for Ampang Rodziah Ismail casts her ballot at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seksyen 18, Shah Alam.
8.00am: Good morning Malaysia.
The 15th general election (GE15) voting day officially starts today. In Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, voting started at 7.30am while in Peninsular Malaysia at 8am.
Follow our live updates on the latest developments, especially in the parliamentary seats in Selangor. The reports are brought to you by Norrasyidah Arshad, Abdul Rahim Sabri, Suhaila Shahrul Annuar, Azian Aziz, Diana Abd Wahab dan Shamz Johan.
