KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — The Election Commission (EC) said 69 per cent of eligible voters have cast their ballots in the Pelangai state by-election in Pahang as at 4pm today.

Polling centres, which opened at 8am, will close at 6pm.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh had forecasted turnout at 70 per cent earlier this morning, after observing long queues of younger voters before noon.

The Meteorological Department forecasted clear skies in Pelangai in the morning and thunderstorms in one or two places in the evening today during the current southwest monsoon season.

Pelangai has a total of 16,456 eligible to vote in this by-election, including postal and absentee voters, national news agency Bernama reported today.

The by-election was called following the death of its elected representative Datuk Seri Johari Harun from Barisan Nasional (BN) in a plane crash in Shah Alam, Selangor on August 17.

BN is seeking to defend the state seat and has fielded Datuk Amizar Abu Adam who is up against two challengers, Kasim Samat of Perikatan Nasional and independent candidate Haslihelmy DM Zulhasni.