According to the Election Commission (EC), they comprise 132,955 voters in Padang Serai and 28,108 in Tioman.

Forty-six polling centres in Padang Serai and 17 in Tioman will open from 8am to 6pm.

Polling for the two seats could not be held simultaneously with the Nov 19 general election following the death of two candidates – Pakatan Harapan’s M Karupaiya in Padang Serai, and Perikatan Nasional’s Yunus Ramli in Tioman.

Karupaiya, 69, died on Nov 16, believed to be due to a heart attack and health complications, and Yunus, 61, died on polling day.

The contest for the Padang Serai seat will see a six-cornered fight among Sofee Razak of PH, C Sivaraj (BN), Azman Nasrudin (PN), Hamzah Abd Rahman (Pejuang), Bakhri Hashim (Warisan) and independent candidate Sreanandha Rao.

On Dec 2, however, BN agreed to give way to PH for the seat.

Tioman will witness a five-cornered fight among Nor Idayu Hashim (PN), Johari Hussain (BN), Fadzli Ramly (PH), Osman A Bakar (Pejuang) and independent candidate Sulaiman Bakar.

PH is making way for BN in the election.