TUMPAT: The early voting exercise for 109 police personnel in the Pengkalan Kubor by-election went smoothly at the district police station here yesterday.
Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh said only four of them did not cast their votes.
“Three could not make it to the polling centre as they were on duty, while the other was on medical leave.”
He said there was only a minor disturbance when a woman, believed to be mentally unstable, tried to pose as an EC officer.
“The process was good and we would like to thank police for their cooperation in conducting the polls without any hassle.”
The last policeman to cast his vote did so at 2.20pm, 40 minutes before the polling centre closed at 3pm. The centre opened at 8am.
The ballots will be counted only on polling day on Thursday and will be kept in a safe place, such as the police lock-up, before the tallying process.
The by-election will see a three-cornered fight involving Barisan Nasional candidate Mat Razi Mat Ail, Pas’ Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.
Among the first to vote yesterday was Corporal Mohd Kamarul Mohamad, 50, from the Marine police base in Kuala Terengganu. He arrived in Pengkalan Kubor on Saturday to cast his vote.