Tri-Elections Live Coverage

5pm) Bkt Gantang: Voting closes here.
(4:55pm) Batang Ai: Two more ballot boxes arrive at Lubok Antu sports complex, from Tadika Kemas Kaong Ulu and Nanga Jela; 19 in all now.
(4:40pm) Batang Ai: The 17th ballot box arrives from SK Sebangki at Lubok Antu sports complex.
(4:30pm) Bkt Selambau: Police say they are investigating, under unlawful restraint, an incident this morning involving PKR supporters stopping Barisan party workers thinking they were ‘phantom voters.’
(4:25pm) Batang Ai: Three more ballot boxes arrive from Tadika Kemas Krangan Mong, Sesco township hall and SK Skarok at Lubok Antu sports complex; there are 16 boxes in all now.
(4pm) All three: As of this time, voter turnout according to the Election Commission:
Bukit Gantang: 70.43% or 39,038 voters
Bukit Selambau: 61.49% or 21,600 voters
Batang Ai: 72.94% or 5,808 voters
(4pm) Batang Ai: Unofficial -- after four of 13 boxes counted at tally centre in Lubok Antu sports complex, Barisan (204) leading PKR (147 votes).
(3:45pm) Batang Ai: Unofficial -- after three of 13 boxes counted at tally centre in Lubok Antu sports complex, Barisan (186 votes) leading PKR (132 votes).
(3:45pm) Batang Ai: The 13th ballot box arrives at the Lubok Antu sports complex, from Rumah Limpeng Lepong.
(3:40pm) Bkt Selambau: EC rectifies a mix-up; earlier, independent candidate Venason Michael had lodged a police report claiming that there was a mix-up of names and logos on the ballot trays.
(3:30pm) Bkt Gantang: With less than two hours too, it starts raining here again.
(3pm) Batang Ai: Counting begins for six ballot boxes from SK Nanga Delok, SK Ulu Engkari, SK Nanga Aup, Tadika Kemas Sempang, Batang Ai Salcra Multipurpose Hall and Nanga Patoh Agriculture office.
(2:45pm) Batang Ai: More ballot boxes arrive at the Lubok Antu sports complex from Nanga Menyebat, Nanga Tibu and Rumah Renggie Bukong.
(2:30pm) Bkt Gantang: Larut, Matang and Selama OCPD Asst Comm Raja Musa Raja Razak said he had yet to receive a report on an incident involving alleged phantom voters.
Election watchdog Mafrel had earlier claimed that a bus ferrying phantom voters had attempted to make a stop at the voting station in SK Panglima Bukit Gantang.
(2:30pm) Bkt Gantang: The rain here stops after causing major jams. Police on the streets to keep the situation calm, with supporters getting boisterous. Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is heckled.
(2:13pm) Batang Ai: Ballot boxes from Rumah Intang Mengiling Nanga Patoh Agriculture Office, SK Nanga Delok and SK Nanga Kumpang arrive at Lubok Antu sports complex.
(2pm) All three: Voter turnout as at this time according to the Election Commission:
Bukit Gantang: 62.51% or 34,645 votersBukit Selambau: 55% or 19,319 votersBatang Ai: 72.94% or 5,808 voters
(1:58pm) Bkt Gantang: Taiping police say traffic in many areas in and around Bukit Gantang have come to an almost complete standstill. Police have blocked heavy vehicles from entering the road heading towards the SK Ayer Puteh polling station from the Kamunting toll exit due to the heavy flow of traffic.
(1:30pm) Bkt Selambau: Voter turnout as of this time was 55%. Meanwhile, independent candidate Major (Rtd) Anuar Abdul Hamid said he was still being pressured to quit on the last day of campaigning on Monday.
(1:15pm) Bkt Gantang: It starts raining here, as expected from the weather forecast.
(12:55pm) Batang Ai: Another ballot box arrives at the Lubok Antu sports complex, from SK Nanga Aup via helicopter.
(12:40pm) Batang Ai: Two more ballot boxes arrive at the Lubok Antu sports complex from Tadika Kemas Sempang and SK Ulu Lemanak.
(12:20pm) Bkt Gantang: Police election secretariat here says it has received information from its teams on the ground of minor scuffles in isolated incidents during the polling process. However, as of noon, no official police reports have been lodged yet.
(12 noon) All three: Voter turnout as at noon according to the Election Commission.
Bukit Gantang: 42.22% or 23, 400 voters.Bukit Selambau: 33.94% or 11, 923 voters.Batang Ai: 46.93% or 3, 737 voters.
(11.40am) Batang Ai: The ballot boxes from SK Ulu Engkari and Batang Ai Salcra multipurpose hall arrive at the counting centre at the Lubok Antu sports complex by helicopter.
Voters at one station had to face a swollen river to cast their votes.
(11am) Batang Ai: Voting has closed at five polling stations namely SK Ulu Engkari, SK Nanga Delok, SK Nanga Aup, Tadika Kemas Sempang and Batang Ai Salcra multipurpose hall.
(10.20am) Batang Ai: Cars are parked by the roadside and voters are lining up at SK Sebangki on the Lubok Antu road.
(10am) All three: As of this time, voter turnout according to the Election Commission:
Bukit Gantang: 17.77% or 9,849 voters.
Batang Ai: 32.41% or 2,581 voters
Bukit Selambau: 21.92% or 7,700 voters.
(9:35am) Bkt Selambau: Independent candidate T. Chandrarajan and his wife M. Suguna cast their votes. Only three of the record number of 15 candidates vying for this state seat are registered voters in the constituency.
(9.25am) Batang Ai: Returning officer Nelson Mujah when met at SK Nanga Kesit says voters in one or two longhouses upriver have been affected by high water levels and swift current.
The water level is expected to subside in two or three hours time and voters will be able to travel by boat to the polling stations, he said, adding that the voting process has been smooth so far.
(9.09am) Batang Ai: Barisan Nasional candidate Malcom Mussen Lamoh casts his vote at Rumah Renggie, Bukong.
(9am) Bkt Selambau: Election Commission officials, when met at polling stations, say high turnout expected between now and noon; the weather is fair now but a heavy downpour is expected in the afternoon.
(9am)Batang Ai: A long line of voters are queueing up at the multi-purpose hall of SK Nanga Kesit on the Lemanak River.
PKR strategic planning director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says two factors are crucial: “The weather and any inroads made by the record number of 13 independents among the voters.” Click here for more.
(8.55am) Bukit Gantang: Roads leading to voting centres at Bukit Gantang are packed with vehicles ferrying voters to vote.
Hawkers took the opportunity to cash in on this and have set up stalls to sell food and drinks.
(8.51am) Bukit Gantang: Police Light Strike Force units put on standby as supporters for both sides get a bit vocal. No incidents however.
(8:50am) Bkt Gantang: Barisan Nasional candidate Ismail Saffian arrives at SK Panglima Bukit Gantang to cast his vote, to resounding cheers from his supporters.
Accompanying him were his wife and Bukit Gantang Umno division chief Datuk Rosli Husin.
Ismail says he is confident of winning by between 1,000 and 3,000 votes based on voters' response.
(8:40am) Bkt Gantang: Crowd starts to build up at all 32 polling stations. Election Commission has advised voters to cast their votes early because according to the weather forecast, it is going to rain in the late afternoon and evening.
(8:30am) Bkt Selambau: PKR candidate Manikumar casts his vote.
(8:20am) Bkt Selambau: Barisan Nasional candidate S. Ganesan casts his vote.
(8am)Batang Ai: Voting begins at the 25 polling stations. The weather is fine but since it rained overnight the rivers were swollen making it difficult for voters in longhouses to travel to their respective polling stations as their homes were only accessible by boat.
PKR candidate Jawah Gerang casts his vote at SK Nanga Kumpang.
(7.40am) Bukit Gantang: Voters start to assemble at SK Panglima Bukit Gantang even before the centre opened.
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional’s candidate for Bukit Selambau S. Ganesan is believed to have been the first politician to kick off the nation’s historic triple-play by-elections when he cast his ballot at SJK(T) Ladang Perbadanan at about 8:20am.
The three by-elections are being closely watched not only because of the heightened political scenario but also due to some “firsts” they created.
It was the first time three by-elections will be held in the country on the same day and the first time 15 candidates will fight for a seat.
Also, for the first time, a former mentri besar, who is still an assemblyman, is contesting a parliamentary seat in a by-election.
All in all, 20 candidates are contesting.
The Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah has a record number of 15 candidates -- the highest ever in the country’s election history.
Barisan, under the fresh leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak which promises change under the 1Malaysia concept, has put a lot of pressure on its opponents, with even former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has just rejoined Umno, on the campaign trail.
The Opposition meanwhile believes that Malaysian voters are still supporting PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Voting starts at 8am and ends at 5pm. The results are expected in between 9pm and 11pm.
Bukit Gantang (P59)The Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election will see a three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional’s Ismail Saffian, 49, former Perak mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, 52, of PAS and independent Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42.
Malays make up 63.5% of the 55,562 voters in Bukit Gantang, followed by Chinese (27.1% ), Indians (9.1%) and others (0.2%).
The Bukit Gantang seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Roslan Shaharom of PAS on Feb 9.
Ismail is a local unlike Nizar who is a registered voter in Pasir Panjang, where he is also its state assemblyman. Kamarul is from Taiping, but is not considered a factor in the by-election.
Ismail, who is Bukit Gantang Umno information chief, is from Kampung Kubu, Bukit Gantang while his wife is from Changkat Ibol in the same constituency.
Bukit Selambau (N25)Some 13 independent candidates are up against Barisan Nasional’s S. Ganesan and PKR’s S. Manikumar.
The independent candidates are former Kedah PPP Wanita Chief L. Sarala, insurance manager T. Chandrarajan, businessman R. Loganathan, Arumugam’s special assistant S. Moganakumar, management consultant A. Jayagopal, businessman Venason Michael, businessman Tan Hock Huat, former army personnel Mohd Fazil Abdul Wahab, former army personnel Major (rtd) Anuar Abdul Hamid, quarry operator Husaini Yaacob, contractor Abdul Rahim Abu, town planner Khamis Awang, and businessman Radzi Md Lazim.
There are 35,140 voters registered in Bukit Selambau.
Independent candidate V. Arumu­gam won the seat in the 12th general election and later joined PKR and was appointed state executive councillor. He vacated the seat on Feb 8, paving the way for the by-election.
Batang Ai (N29)The Batang Ai by-election will see a straight fight between Barisan Na­­sional newcomer Malcom Mussem Lamoh, 49, who will face former five-term Lubok Antu MP Jawah Gerang, 55, in this rural, predominantly Iban constituency.
The Batang Ai constituency, located near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, fell vacant following the death of assemblyman Datuk Dublin Unting on Feb 24.
It has 8,006 registered voters, about 95% of whom are Ibans.