JOHOR BAHRU, March 12 – A voter turnout of 35 percent has been recorded as at 1pm today, the Election Commission of Malaysia announced in its Facebook.
The 15th Johor state election took off this morning, with voters observing the standard operating procedures that have been set including the use of face mask, hand sanitiser, checking fever and keeping the social distance amid the Covid-19 virus threat.
A total of 2,539,606 voters had been expected to cast their votes in the polls today.
A total of 239 candidates from 15 parties are contesting in the state election, which will be also seeing the participation of young voters aged 18 for the first time in the country.
Among those who had cast their votes included Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein who was seen at the polling station with his wife.
Local media reported him urging voters to do turn up for voting before the polling stations close.
Meanwhile, DAP Member of Parliament for Ipoh Barat, M. Kula Segaran, in his Twitter lamented the early closing of the Bekok polling station at 2pm.
He said no reason was given.
“What about voters that are only free later in the day or coming from rural areas?