JOHOR BARU – Today is the big day in the Johor election.
Over 2.5 million voters will go to the polls between 8am and 6pm in the 56 constituencies to elect their representatives for the next five years.
The election is being held amid a surge in the number of cases of the Covid-19 Omicron variant during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Nevertheless, Covid-19 safety standard operating procedures (SOPs) are in place, although less stringent than the SOPs enforced during the Melaka and Sarawak elections that were held last November and December, respectively, as the country transitions to the endemic phase of the pandemic beginning April 1.
Unlike in Melaka and Sarawak, indoor ceramah (political talks) with limited attendance, walkabouts by candidates and political party leaders and house-to-house campaigning were allowed in Johor.
However, protocols like wearing face masks, maintaining physical distancing and sanitising have to be complied with during polling.
The electoral roll for Johor has 2,597,742 registered voters. In the fray are 239 candidates, including 16 independents, with the major players being the Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalitions and Pejuang, which is led by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
PKR from PH is using its own logo in this election, while Muda, a multi-racial and youth-centric political party, is making its electoral debut and Sabah-based Parti Warisan is making a foray into the peninsula in this election.
This election is historic as it is the first in the country following the Undi-18 (lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18) coming into force. Voters in the new age group for this election number more than 700,000.
The Johor election was to have been held next year along with the 15th General Election but was called early following the dissolution of the state Legislative Assembly on January 23 after the state government was left with a single-seat majority when Kempas assemblyman Datuk Osman Sapian, 70, died of a stroke on December 21.
The Election Commission has targeted a 70% voter turnout.
Following are some polling day highlights:
As of 4pm:
- EC announces 50% voter turnout as of 4pm.
As of 3.55pm:
- EC announces 46% voter turnout as of 3pm.
As of 2.45pm:
- EC announces 40% voter turnout as of 2pm.
- The number of ballots has exceeded 900,000.
- BN candidate for the Yong Peng seat Ling Tian Soon has been alleged to have violated election laws when he uploaded a video online, appealing for support on polling day today. DAP’s Keranji state assemblyman, Chong Zhemin, alleged that the video clip was uploaded to the Facebook page at 1.30am today.
As of 2pm:
- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob called on voters at SK Perumahan Tampoi 2, Kempas, to observe the polling process.
- The school is one of the polling stations in the Kempas constituency.
- A total of 15 polling stations closed at 2pm, most with only one or two voting streams.
- EC announces 35% voter turnout as of 1pm.
As of 1.30pm:
- Another polling centre in the Tenggaroh constituency, SK Pulau Pemanggil, closed at 1pm.
- In Mersing, EC staff brought a bag containing ballot papers besides polling equipment from the Balai Raya Pulau Besar polling centre for the Tenggaroh constituency by boat and arrived at the Mersing Jetty at 1.20pm.
- The community hall became the first polling centre in the election to close, closing at 11am.
As of 11.45am:
- In Johor Baru, despite his duties, Bernama TV cameraman Fazlil Hakimi Dzulkifli, 28, exercised his right to vote. He and his wife Nurul Najihah Mokhtar, 29, fulfilled their voting responsibilities at SK Taman Perling at 11.45am.
- Employers are encouraged to give exemptions to staff, allowing them to go out and vote in an effort to boost democracy in the country.
- Tebrau MP Steven Choong Shiau Yoon, the Parti Bangsa Malaysia candidate for the Puteri Wangsa seat, and his wife Chua Yong Hiang, arrived at the Sekolah Agama Sabilul Muhtadin polling station in Puteri Wangsa at 11.40am and joined the queue of voters there.
As of 11.15am:
- In Mersing, the Balai Raya Pulau Besar became the first polling centre to close at 11am, the EC announced.
- EC announces 22% voter turnout as of 11am.
- Media personnel took turns to vote in their respective constituencies. Among them was Mohd Syafiq Nasir, a Bernama Information and Communications Technology executive, who is with the news agency’s team covering the Johor election. Syafiq cast his ballot at the Taman Tasek Immigration Multipurpose Hall in the Larkin constituency.
- In Kluang, Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also the MP for Sembrong, and wife, Datin Seri Tengku Marsilla Tengku Abdullah, voted at Sekolah Agama Taman Sri Lambak to elect the assemblyman for Kahang.
- BN candidate for the Kahang seat, R. Vidyananthan, also voted at Sekolah Agama Taman Sri Lambak.
As of 10.45am:
- Twins Fatin Ameyra Anastasia Narimusa and Fatin Adrreyna Anastasia Narimusa, 22, voted for the first time at the Sekolah Agama Sabilul Muhtadin polling station in the Puteri Wangsa constituency which has six candidates vying for the post of elected representative.
- Another Undi 18 voter, Mohamad Rizza Mohd Jamil, 20, shared his excitement at being able to vote and expressed the hope that his elected representative could help young people to get job opportunities. Mohamad Rizza voted at SK Taman Tun Aminah Dua, Skudai.
- In Ayer Hitam, Sanusi Idris, 58, brought along his son Mohamad Aidil, 25, who is a person with disabilities, and his mother Musiah Usop, 85, to vote at SK Seri Bandan in the Semarang constituency.
- In Kluang, Bernama Sports Desk chief R. Vikneswaran came down from Kuala Lumpur to vote. He cast his ballot at SMK Dato ‘Abdul Rahman Andak, Simpang Renggam for the Machap seat.
- EC announces 13% voter turnout as of 10am.
As of 10.15am:
- Lim San Shien, an Undi 18 voter, voted at the SJK (Tamil) Ladang Bukit Serampang polling centre for the Perling constituency.
- The Johor election sees for the first time Undi18 (where voting age was lowered from 21 to 18) implemented.
- Tan Chiew Lian, 59, and her autistic son Tee Wen Jian, 32, voted at SM Foon Yew, Stulang Laut, Johor Baru, in the Stulang constituency.
- Pah Ah Moi, 74, and her husband Mong Kau, 84, took the opportunity to vote early at Sekolah Agama Sabilul Muhtadin, Puteri Wangsa, in Johor Baru.
- The MySPRSemak has information on when to go out and vote to ensure a smooth polling process. It is one of the SOPs for the Johor election, as a precaution against Covid-19 infection.
As of 9.30am:
- Voter turnout at 6% as of 9am, according to the EC.
- In Muar, Election Commission personnel were seen sanitising the polling booths at SJK (C) Lenga, Pagoh, in the Bukit Kepong constituency. Sanitisation is conducted every two hours to prevent Covid-19 infection.
- Datuk Mohd Fuad Tukirin, the BN candidate for Bukit Naning, and wife, Datin Norazila Mohamed, cast their ballots at SK Ayer Itam, Batu 18, Muar.
As of 9am :
- In Muar, PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife, Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman, voted at 9.16am at SMK Sri Muar in the Maharani constituency.
- In the Puteri Wangsa constituency, young voter Muhammad Zafri Zahrul Nizam, 19, fulfilled his responsibility as a first-time voter at Sekolah Agama Sabilul Muhtadin, Puteri Wangsa, Johor Baru.
- In Batu Pahat, Datuk Samsolbari Jamali, the incumbent and BN four-term assemblyman for Semarang, arrived at SK Seri Bandan at 9.10am to cast his ballot, accompanied by his wife, mother and children, all of whom voted there.
- Independent candidate, Adzrin Adam, who is contesting the Puteri Wangsa seat, observes the voting process at the Sekolah Agama Sabilul Muhtadin polling centre in Puteri Wangsa.
- He had earlier discharged his responsibility as a voter at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Bestari Indah polling station, Ulu Tiram at 8am.
- A voter, who was seen to be coughing, voted at a specially designated booth at SM Foon Yew in Stulang Laut in the Stulang constituency.
- In Johor Baru, Nornekman Osman, the Pejuang candidate for the Kempas seat, and his family members fulfilled their voting responsibility to elect the assemblyman for Larkin at the SK Larkin (1) polling centre at 9am.
- In Batu Pahat, Datuk Zulkurnain Kamisan, the incumbent and BN candidate for Sri Medan, voted at the SK Parit Sulong polling station. He was accompanied by his wife, Datin Adib Nafilah Abu Dardak, who will cast her ballot at the SMK Dato’ Sulaiman polling station, also in Parit Sulong, Batu Pahat.
As of 8.45am :
- In Simpang Renggam, Datuk Ab Mutalip Abd Rahim, the BN candidate for Layang-Layang, cast his ballot at SK LKTP Layang-Layang. He also observed the voting at the polling station.
- In Kluang, Suhainie Mohd Khalid, a Bernama subeditor based in Kuala Lumpur, returned home to vote at SMK Taman Sri Kluang in the Mahkota constituency.
- In Kulai, the sanitation process is carried out hourly in all voting channels at the SJK Cina Kulai 1 polling centre.
- In Iskandar Puteri. BN candidate, Pandak Ahmad arrives at the SK Kg Melayu polling centre with his father, mother and wife to vote in the Kota Iskandar constituency at 8.40am.
- In Mersing, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Dr Abd Latiff Ahmad arrives at SMK Mersing to cast his vote for the Endau seat.
- Latiff, who is also MP for Mersing, arrived with both his parents at 8.45am.
- Bernama photographer Mohamad Hilmizudin Daud, 31, among media personnel who did not miss the opportunity to vote for his choice of candidate for the Stulang seat this morning at Sekolah Agama Dato ‘Sulaiman Menteri, Johor Baru.
- PN candidate for Benut, Senator Datuk Isa Ab Hamid finishes voting at SJK (C) Lok Yu (1), Benut at 8.38am.
As of 8am :
- Pakatan Harapan candidate for Johor Jaya, Liow Cai Tung finishes voting at SK Taman Molek, Johor Bahru at 8.24 am.
- The oldest candidate in the Johor election, Tosrin Jarvanthi, 71, representing PN who is contesting the Bukit Permai seat, arrives to vote at SK Sinar Bahagia, Felda Taib Andak, Kulai at 8.20am.
- PN candidate for Bukit Kepong, Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal arrives at SJK (C) Lenga polling centre, Pagoh at 8.12 am.
- Former Johor menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin arrives at SK Taman Rinting 1 compound, Pasir Gudang to cast his vote for the Permas seat.
- Voting for the 15th Johor election begins at 8am, 1,021 polling stations open.
As of 7.30 am:
- Before the voting process was to start, Election Commission (EC) staff together with health workers and from the local authorities conducted sanitation at the polling stations.
- There were also EC officers donning PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and to handle voters categorised as Persons Under Surveillance (PUS) and Persons Under Investigation (PUI) who were given permission from the district health officer (PKD) to vote at their respective polling stations.
- The weather was reported to be sunny at all polling stations.
- Voters were seen coming as early as 7am to fulfil their responsibility. – The Vibes, March 12, 2022
