Kinabatangan: The Election Commission (EC) today deployed helicopter services to deliver ballot boxes to three polling centres - Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kuamut, SK Inarad, and SK Abai - as part of final preparations ahead of polling day for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections, tomorrow. Returning officer Eddy Syaizul Rizam Abdullah stated that the helicopter services were necessary due to the geographical challenges of the region, including the expansive Kinabatangan constituency and the remote locations of the polling centres.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the initial helicopter deployment took place today, covering the three polling centres from 10 am until noon. This delivery is being conducted in two phases, with the first phase completed today and the second phase scheduled for polling day. For polling centres in coastal areas within the Sukau state constituency, ballot boxes are being delivered by boat services today.

Eddy Syaizul Rizam Abdullah explained that the second phase of ballot box delivery is set to commence at 3 am tomorrow, ensuring that all 36 regular polling centres, comprising 117 channels, can begin operations at 7.30 am. He affirmed that preparations for polling day are progressing smoothly, with the official vote-tallying centre scheduled to operate from 5 pm until the results are finalized, with outcomes expected by 10 pm.

The Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election involves a three-cornered contest featuring Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar (Barisan Nasional), Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman (Warisan), and Goldam Hamid (Independent). Concurrently, the Lamag state by-election is a straight fight between Mohd Ismail Ayob of BN and Mazliwati Abdul Malek of Warisan. These by-elections were necessitated by the passing of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on December 5 last year.

A total of 48,526 registered voters are eligible to participate in the Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election, while 13,703 have registered to vote in the Lamag state seat.