Tawau: Over 61.72 per cent of the 24,426 early voters for the 17th Sabah State Election had cast their ballots by 11 am today, as announced by Election Commission (EC) chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun. He expects the voter turnout to reach 90 per cent by the time all 58 voting centres close at 5 pm, based on the trend observed so far.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun expressed gratitude to those who arrived early to vote and encouraged the continuation of this trend until the early voting centres conclude operations at 5 pm. He conveyed these remarks during a press conference held at the Tawau Police Headquarters (IPD) voting centre, one of the 58 early voting centres that opened at 8 am.

The EC noted that among the 24,426 eligible voters, 11,697 are military personnel and their spouses, while 12,729 are police personnel and their spouses. A survey by Bernama at several early voting centres revealed that the process was smooth, despite rain in some areas. At Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (RMN) Kota Kinabalu, Eastern Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Datuk Khir Junaidi Idris and his wife were among the earliest to cast their ballots, while Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) Commander Datuk Victor Sanjos voted at the Lahad Datu IPD.

Candidates contesting in the polls continued to monitor activities at the early voting centres. Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Karambunai, Datuk Yakub Khan, visited SK Pangkalan RMN, and Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Sri Tanjung, Philip Yap Wui Lip, observed proceedings at the Tawau IPD.

Upon completion of early voting this afternoon, all ballot papers will be securely stored before being counted on polling day, scheduled for Saturday, November 29. Candidates have three days remaining to campaign and appeal to the 1.76 million registered voters ahead of polling day. This state election involves 596 candidates vying for 73 seats, including 74 independents.