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A TOTAL of 90.4 percent of early voters had fulfilled their civic duty in the Ayer Kuning state by-election as of 12 noon today, according to the Election Commission (EC).
The early voting process took place at two designated centres — the Senior Officers' Recreation Hall at Battalion 3 of the General Operations Force (PGA) in Bidor, and Anggerik Hall at the Tapah District Police Headquarters (IPD) housing complex — both of which opened simultaneously at 8am.
The polling centre at Anggerik Hall, which catered to 24 police personnel and their spouses, officially closed at noon. Meanwhile, the centre at PGA Bidor will remain open until 5pm.
The early voting involved three polling streams and a total of 500 voters, consisting of police officers and their spouses.
The Ayer Kuning by-election was triggered by the death of its incumbent, Ishsam Shahruddin, 58, who passed away on 22 February. The seat is now being contested in a three-way race between Barisan Nasional’s Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir, Perikatan Nasional’s Abd Muhaimin Malek, and Bawani KS of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
All three candidates were seen visiting the polling centres to observe the early voting process.
Election Commission chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun also visited the Senior Officers' Recreation Hall at PGA Bidor around 9am to monitor proceedings.
BN Intensifies Efforts
Separately, as the Ayer Kuning state by-election campaign enters its eleventh day, Barisan Nasional (BN) is ramping up efforts to secure support from the estimated 20 per cent of undecided voters in the constituency.
UMNO’s War Room Secretariat Chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the coalition is hopeful that its intensified outreach will translate into a higher majority compared to the previous general election.
“We must identify, persuade, and help them understand that Ayer Kuning must remain under the government’s administration,” he told reporters during a visit to the collapsed Sungai Liat Bridge in Felda Sungai Klah, caused by erosion.
Ahmad also noted that campaign cooperation between BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) machinery has been smooth thus far, and the coalition is aiming to secure more than 15,000 votes.
The constituency has 31,897 registered voters, comprising 31,315 regular voters and 582 police personnel and their spouses.
In the 15th General Election (GE15), the late Ishsam secured the seat for BN with a majority of 2,213 votes in a five-way race. - April 22, 2025