Najib among party leaders who cast their votes today

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MY VOTE: Najib casts his vote today.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is among the political leaders who cast their votes today in the 13th general election (GE13) to choose the government that will rule the country for the next five years.

In PEKAN, Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor cast their ballots at the polling centre in Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah.

Clad in white shirt, Najib and Rosmah, who was dressed in pink baju kurung, and their son, Norashman arrived at the polling centre at 9.10 am.

Najib, who is defending the Pekan seat which he held since 1976, faces Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Mohd Fariz Abdul Talib in a straight fight.

CROWDED: Many voters arrived early at SK Sungai Manila, Sandakan polling station to cast their vote for the 13th Malaysia General Election Day. -Bernama photo

In MUAR, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife cast their ballots at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sri Muar, Jalan Meriam.

They arrived at the school at 8.10am and were among the earliest voters who voted at the polling centre which opened at 8am.

Both of them completed the voting process at 8.20am and spent some time posing for photographers while showing off their index fingers marked with the indelible ink.

The tussle for the Pagoh parliamentary seat is between Muhyiddin and Mohamad Rozali Jamil of PAS.

In the 2008 polls, Muhyiddin won the seat by defeating Mohamad Rozali with 12,581-vote majority.

In MARANG, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang voted at Sekolah Kebangsaan Rusila at 8.05am. Abdul Hadi is defending both the Marang parliamentary seat and the Rhu Rendang state seat.

In PERMATANG PAUH, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is defending the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, has cast his ballot at Sekolah Kebangsaan Penanti at 9am.

He won the seat in the by-election in August 2008 by defeating Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah with 16,210-vote majority.

The by-election was held after his wife, Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who held the seat for two terms, resigned after winning the 2008 polls.

In GEORGETOWN, Penang Caretaker Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his wife, Betty Chew, cast their votes in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency at Sekolah Menengah Chung Hwa Confucion in Island Park at 8.15am.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, is defending the Air Putih state seat and Bagan parliamentary seat which he won in 2008.

CIVIC DUTY: Former prime minister Abdullah Badawi cast his vote.

In KEPALA BATAS, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his wife, Tun Jeanne Abdullah, cast their ballots in Kepala Batas parliamentary constituency at Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Bertam.

Dr M and Siti Hasmah show their finger stained with the indelible ink.

In ALOR SETAR, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali, fulfilled their responsibility by casting their ballots at Sekolah Kebangsaan Titi Gajah at 10.18am.

In SANDAKAN, caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and his wife, Datin Seri Fridah Tussin, cast their votes at Libaran parliamentary polling centre at 10am.

In JOHOR BAHARU, caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Abdul Ghani Othman and his wife, Datin Seri Prof Dr Jamilah Ariffin, fulfilled their voting responsibility at Sekolah Kebangsaan Abdullah Sungai Mati in Ledang at 10.30am.

Abdul Ghani is facing DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang in the contest for the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat, which was described as the ‘mother of all battles’.

In PANGKOR, Perak caretaker Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir had cast his vote at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pangkor.

The Perak BN chairman, who was accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Saripah Zulkifli and family members, arrived at the polling centre at 9.10am.

Zambry faces Bernard Parenpa (Independent) and Mohd Saifullah Mohd Zulkifli (PKR) in his bid to defend his Pangkor state seat.

In KUCHING, Sarawak Chief Minister Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud, who is also Sarawak BN chairman, fulfilled his voting responsibility at Dewan Merpati Jepang, Kuching at 10.30am.

In SEMPORNA, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal had cast his ballot at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pekan Semporna at 9.15am.

Mohd Shafie, who is defending the Semporna parliamentary seat, is caught in a three-corner fight with PKR candidate Dr Zamree @ Mohd Suffian Abdul Habi and Independent candidate Datu Badaruddin Tun Datu Mustapha.

Semporna parliamentary constituency has three state seats, namely Sulabayan, Senallang and Bugaya with approximately 41,000 voters, 19,000 of whom are first timers. – Bernama