Police personnel wait to cast their ballots during early voting for the Sandakan by-election at the Sandakan District Police Headquarters May 7, 2019. — Picture via Twitter

SANDAKAN, May 7 — Seventy-five per cent of the early voters had cast their ballots in the Sandakan parliamentary by-election when polling closed at 2pm today.

The Election Commission (EC) in a statement here said the early voting began at 8am at two stations, one at the Sandakan District Police Headquarters clubhouse and the other at the the Sandakan Marine Police senior officers’ mess.

The voting station at the clubhouse closed at 12 noon, while the other at the senior officers’ mess closed at 2pm.

Vivian Wong Shir Yee of DAP is engaged in a five-cornered contest in the by-election for the seat held by her father Datuk Stephen Wong Tien Fatt who died on March 28.

The other contestants are Datuk Linda Tsen Thau Lin of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and three independents, namely former Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Sabah chairman Hamzah Abdullah; businessman Chia Siew Yung and former administrative officer of the Sandakan parliamentary service centre Sulaiman Samat.

Polling for the by-election is set for May 11 from 7.30am to 5pm. — Bernama