KOTA KINABALU: A total of 2,540 voting channels at 741 polling centres in 73 state constituencies were opened simultaneously at 7.30am today to enable the Sabah electorate to choose a new government in the snap state election.
The polling process, which involves 1,088,711 out of 1,103,646 ordinary voters, will be managed by 17,257 election workers until the official voting time ends at 5pm.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecasted rain and thunderstorms in one or two areas in the west coast and the interior of Sabah, Kudat and Sandakan today.
Since the election is being held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, especially with rising cases reported in Sabah, 1,594 healthcare workers are also being stationed at polling centres statewide.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali has given his assurance that polling will run smoothly without any disruption; and that voters can discharge their duty without worry.
The Sabah election is being held after caretaker Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal dissolved the state legislative assembly on July 30, a day after his predecessor Tan Sri Musa Aman claimed he had majority support among state assemblymen to form a new government. - Bernama