With voter turnout reported to be at only 39 percent at 1pm, Ling said the Barisan Nasional might be responsible for it, so that voters would not want to go out to vote after hearing he has won against SUPP candidate Sebastian Ting.

“Piasau is a straight fight between me and BN. Of course, who is interested to do all this and will benefit by doing so? BN,” he told FMT. “People even congratulated me as they think I have won,” said Ling, who is seeking re-election for a second term.

“I urge my competitor not to resort to such tactics, and for the voters to come out in numbers to vote,” he said.

He said he would lodge a police report this afternoon. Ling was heralded as a giant killer in 2011 by defeating the SUPP president and Sarawak deputy chief minister George Chan.

The 2011 elections resulted in significant losses for the SUPP and the subsequent resignations of various party leaders.