A TOTAL of 48,526 registered voters are set to cast their ballots in the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election tomorrow, while another 13,703 voters will take part in the Lamag state by-election.
Polling will be conducted at 36 polling centres comprising 117 voting streams. All centres will open from 7.30am to 5.30pm, although 25 polling centres will close earlier at various times between noon and 5pm due to logistical considerations.
The earliest closures will take place at SK Inarad and SK Sri Ganda at noon, followed by SK Kuamut, SK Masaum, SK Sangau, SK Tundun Bohangin, SK Litang and SK Ladang Tomanggong at 1pm. Several centres including SK Keramuak, SK Sungai Lokan, Dewan Serbaguna Kampung Balat Kinabatangan, SK Bilit and SK Abai will close at 2pm, while another group of schools, including SK Penangah, SK Minusuh, SK Saguon, SK Tanjong Aru, SK Tanjong Batu and SK Mumiang, will cease operations at 3pm.
SK Pulau Lubukan will close at 4pm, while polling at SK Menanam, SK Sogo-Sogo, SMK Entilibon, SK Pekan Tongod and SK Batu Puteh will end at 5pm.
The final 11 polling centres, including several schools in Bukit Garam, Kota Kinabatangan, Paris and Sukau, as well as community halls in Gomantong Jaya, will close at 5.30pm, marking the end of voting for both elections.
Kinabatangan Parliament comprises three state constituencies, namely Sukau, Lamag and Kuamut. Vote counting for both contests will take place at the Official Tallying Centre at Dewan Sri Lamag.
Earlier this week, the Election Commission said 93 per cent of eligible early voters, comprising 176 police personnel, had already cast their ballots for both by-elections.
Campaigning for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections enters its final day today and will end at 11.59pm.
The Kinabatangan parliamentary contest is a three-cornered fight between Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar of Barisan Nasional, Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman of Warisan and independent candidate Goldam Hamid.
In Lamag, voters will decide in a straight fight between Barisan Nasional’s Mohd Ismail Ayob and Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek.
The by-elections were called following the death of incumbent Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, 66, on Dec 5 last year.
All five candidates are expected to vote tomorrow. Mohd Kurniawan Naim will cast his ballot at SK Bilit, Saddi at SK Batu Puteh, Goldam at SK Pekan Tongod, Mohd Ismail at SK Bukit Garam II and Mazliwati at SK Buang Sayang.
At the 15th General Election, Bung Moktar retained the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat with a majority of 4,330 votes, defeating Mazliwati, who represented Warisan.
He also secured victory in the Lamag state seat during the Sabah state election on Nov 29, winning a five-cornered contest with a slim majority of 153 votes.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department has forecast fair weather in the morning tomorrow, with thunderstorms expected in the afternoon and rain likely in the evening. - January 23, 2026
