11.30am: EC says 43% or 4,571 voters had cast their ballots by 11am.

10.30am: EC says that 3,175 voters or 30% had cast their ballots by 10am.

10.20am: Heavy traffic in Merlimau town, an indication of high voter turnout in early part of polling.

9.25am: EC chairman Tan Ari Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said that, as of 9am, the voter turnout was 15% with 1,500 having cast their votes.

Roslan casting his ballot papers

9.15am: A minor argument broke out when EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof visited SRJK (C) Jasin Lalang in Ayer Merbau. An opposition observer in the centre accused an EC staff of allegedly telling a woman voter which party to vote.

Abdul Aziz said regulations provided for an EC staff to help voters with vision problems by asking them their choice and guiding them in marking the ballot paper.

He said all EC staff had sworn to be honest in carrying out their duty and all votes were secret. He said all EC staff and party observers should know the process of election as all of them had been briefed.

9.05am: Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional vehicles ferrying voters to SRKJ(C) Merlimau in the heart of the old town were stopped by police. Drivers were asked to remove large party flags.

The Election Commission stated that such display of party logos were not allowed on vehicles after March 5 midnight.

8.45am: Barisan Nasional candidate Roslan Ahmad arrives with wife to cast his ballot at SK Merlimau 1 in Merlimau Pasir.

Most of the early voters are the elderly in polling centres in Merlimau Pasir and centre in the outer part of Merlimau town.

8.40am. PAS candidate Yuhaizad Abdullah accompanies his mother who is casting her vote at SK Chinchin in Jasin Lalang polling centre.

8.20am: Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam visits his first polling centre at SRJK (C) Jasin Lalang in Air Merbau.

“I hope at least 80% of the voters will come out and vote,” he said, adding that he also hoped all voters will come out and vote early as weather forecast showed that it might be rain in the afternoon.

8.15am: Supporters from Barisan Nasional and PAS cheer and greet voters.

Voters begin streaming into SJRK(C) Merlimau in the heart of Merlimau’s old town and SK Merlimau 1 in Merlimau Pasir polling stations. Both are considered crucial centres with over 2,100 registered voters.

There’s heavy police presence with a police helicopter hovering above Merlimau.

8.00am: Voters are allowed into the seven polling centres to cast their ballots.

7.40am: Some early birds arrive at SRJK (C) Jasin Lalang.

7.15am: Roads in Merlimau are relatively clear but traffic is building.

JASIN: The 10,643 voters in the Merlimau will choose their state assemblyman on Sunday.

It is a straight contest between Barisan Nasional’s Roslan Ahmad, a local who is the Jasin Umno committee member and PAS’ Yuhaizad Abdullah, also a local boy but not a voter in Merlimau.

The Merlimau state seat fell vacant after Mohamad Hidhir, 54, died on Jan 20 following a heart attack.

In the 2008 general election, he beat the PAS candidate, Jasme Tompang with a majority of 2,154 votes.

The Voter Register contains 10,679 registered voters comprising 10,643 ordinary voters and 36 postal voters.

The vote will be tallied at the Dewan Platinum Politeknik Merlimau.

Seven schools have been designated as polling centres with a total of 21 voting streams.

The Returning Officer is Roslan Eusoff, who is also the Jasin District Officer.

-THE STAR-