Early voting for the Pengkalan Kubor state by-election involving 109 policemen started at 8am today and voters will start casting their ballots at the polling centre in Delima Hall of the Tumpat District Police headquarters.

The Election Commission (EC) said today that the polling centre would be opened from 8am to 3pm and the voting process observed by the agents of the candidates contesting the by-election.

The ballots would only be counted on polling day on Sept 25 and that they would be kept in a safe place, such as in the police lockup, until then.

The by-election is a three-cornered contest among Mat Razi Mat Ail of Barisan Nasional, Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim of PAS and independent Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary.

It is being held following the death of three-term assemblyman, Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar of the BN, on Aug 20.

Noor Zahidi had retained the seat in the general election held last year with a majority of 1,736 votes, beating Saharun Ibrahim of PKR and Izat Bukhary.

PKR has allowed PAS to contest its seat in this by-election. Pengkalan Kubor has 24,039 registered voters.