NIBONG TEBAL, July 6 — About 16.74 per cent of eligible voters have cast their votes for the Sungai Bakap state by-election as of 10am today.

According to the Election Commission (SPR), nine polling stations with 65 voting streams were opened simultaneously at 8am today.

The polling centres are at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tasek; Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Boon Beng; SMK Bandar Tasek Mutiara, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Tasek; SK Sungai Duri; SMK Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah; SK Sungai Bakap; SK Jawi and SK Sungai Kechil.

All the polling centres will be closed at 6pm. The vote tallying will be at the Jawi Multipurpose Hall, Taman Desa Jawi here.

A total of 39,279 voters, including 57 members of the police force, are eligible to vote in the by-election.

However, no early voting was held for this by-election as the early voters, comprising the 57 police personnel, applied to vote as postal voters.

The Sungai Bakap state by-election is a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Joohari Ariffin and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate, Nibong Tebal PAS vice-chief Abidin Ismail.

It is held following the death of incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff due to stomach inflammation last May 24.

In the Penang State Election last August, Nor Zamri, who was also Nibong Tebal PAS chief, defeated PH candidate Nurhidayah Che Rose with a majority of 1,563 votes. — Bernama