GE15: Anwar cuts queue to cast vote in Permatang Pauh

PERMATANG PAUH - Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is forced to cut the line to cast his vote at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Penanti, here, on Saturday.

Anwar arrived at the polling centre at about 9am and was seen lining up with hundreds of other voters outside the polling station.

However, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president gained the attention of over 50 media practitioners which included foreign journalists and caused the area to be crowded to the point of disturbing other voters awaiting their turn.

Seberang Perai Tengah District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Tan Cheng San gained approval from the Election Commission (EC) for Anwar to vote first in order to alleviate the issue.

The Tambun Parliament PH candidate apologised to voters who had lined up because of his actions to ensure the comfort of many and a smooth voting process.

"I apologise that I have to cut to the front, if I didn't reporters would be swarming this area.

"After voting I will go to Tambun to review the polling process and meet my supporters there," he said.

Anwar took less than five minutes for the voting process to complete before he went out of the hall and socialised with the people at the polling station involved.

The Permatang Pauh seat witnessed the four-corner clash where the incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar, 42, (PH) would face with competitors Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said, 53 from Barisan Nasional (BN), Muhammad Fawwaz Mat Jan, 39 (Perikatan Nasional) and Mohamad Nasir Othman, 64 (GTA- Pejuang).

Nurul Izzah previously maintained PKR's dominance in the Permatang Pauh Parliament since 1998 when she won GE14 with a majority of 15,668 votes.

She obtained 35,534 votes beating the BN candidate Datuk Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said who obtained 19.866 votes and Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden from Pas (14,428 votes).

The seat was previously held by either Anwar or his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Aziza Wan Ismail since 1982.