TAPAH, April 26 — Voting for the Ayer Kuning state by-election is going smoothly without any untoward incidents so far, Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said.

All parties have cooperated well throughout the campaign period till voting began at 8 am this morning, he said, adding that they received 10 police reports, including one about a temporary structure being set up near a voting centre, throughout the period.

“The structure isn’t allowed (during voting), and on the advice of the police, it was taken down,” he told Bernama here today.

He also took the opportunity to thank everyone for their cooperation throughout the entire by-election process.

Noor Hisam had earlier accompanied Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain on a visit to observe voting centres at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Bidor and Sekolah Menengah Agama Daerah Batang Padang, at about 2 pm.

A total of 31,281 registered voters have begun casting their votes at 63 channels at 19 centres since 8 am today to elect the winner of a three-cornered fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir, Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Abd Muhaimin Malek and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s (PSM) Bawani KS.

The by-election was called after assemblyman Ishsam Shahruddin died of a heart attack on Feb 22. — Bernama