The polling stations are expected to close at 5.30pm.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates were among the first to cast their ballots.

PH’s Karmaine Sardini voted at 8.04am at Sekolah Kebangsaan Telok Kerang.

BN’s Wee Jeck Seng voted at SJKC Yu Ming, Pekan Nanas, just after polling began.

Voters had waited since early morning to cast their ballots, and long lines started to form when the polling centres opened.

A total of 52,471 voters will exercise their right to elect a new MP, following the death of incumbent Dr Md Farid Md Rafik of PPBM on Sept 21 from heart complications.

The by-election is a six-cornered contest among Karmaine, Wee, Wendy Subramaniam (Gerakan), Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz (Berjasa) and two independents – Ang Chuan Lock and Faridah Aryani Abd Ghaffar.

The by-election is the ninth since the 14th general election in May last year.

On Tuesday, 91% of the 280 early voters comprising members of the Armed Forces and police cast their votes at the Pontian district police headquarters.

Eleven of the 27 polling centres are at the Pekan Nanas state constituency and 16 in Kukup.

Yesterday, the Malaysian Meteorological Department predicted heavy rain today.

The results of the by-election are expected between 8pm and 9pm.