8am: All polling stations open.
The voters will cast their ballots at 1,748 the polling centres throughout the state which is the size of Peninsular Malaysia and polling would be carried out in stages as there were voters living in the interior areas. Schools, longhouses and community halls were being used as polling centres.
The Election Commission (EC) is expecting a voter turnout of 75%.
8.01am: Betong/Sri Aman - The weather is good in both Betong and Sri Aman divisions, about 120km east of Kuching, where many of the rural Iban-majority are located. Voters begin trickling into polling stations as early as 7.45am, 15 minutes before the official polling starts.
Seats to watch in both areas are Saribas, Lingga and Beting Maro (Malay/Melanau-majority), Layar (Iban-majority held by deputy chief minister Alfred Jabu), Krian, Simanggang, Batang Ai, Engkilili and Balai Ringin (all Iban-majority).
8.08am: Beting Maro - The Saribas River is rather busy when voters arriving and leaving via boats from villages across the river. In Sekolah Kebangsaan Pusa, the PAS tent received a rousing reception when voters flocked to check their voting streams.Pusa is the biggest town in Beting Maro. The state seat is the only one that PAS is said to have a chance of winning. Over 90 percent of the voters in the area are Malays.
8.10am: Sibu - With seven seats up for grabs in the Chinese-majority town of Sibu, this election has seen fierce battle between SUPP and DAP for supremacy in six of them.
While it is already a foregone conclusion that Nangka will remain under PBB's control, PKR is expected to reduce their majority there.
But in the other six, SUPP led by assistant minister and Bawang Assan incumbent Wong Soon Koh has to fight off a strong challenge in four seats - Bawang Assan, Dudong, Pelawan and Repok.DAP appeared buoyed by exceedingly large turnouts in its ceramah in the last few days.
With Bukit Assek incumbent and Sarawak DAP chairperson Wong Ho Leng on the forefront of their campaign, the opposition party is hoping to emerge tonight with an overwhelming victory.
8.15am: Kuching - Drizzle and dark clouds are not keeping voters away with many mostly the elderly already streaming polling centres.
All eyes will be on Chinese-majority seats Pending and Padungan in the city centre, along with suburban seats of Batu Kawah, Batu Lintang and Kota Sentosa, where PKR and DAP candidates have put up a tough fight against SUPP.
In downtown Malay-majority Satok, PBB stalwart Abang Johari Abang Openg is defending his seat against PKR newbie Ahmad Nazib Johari, who is expected to reduce the strongman's winning majority.
8.20am: Saribas - Several PKR campaigners, including Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, are trying hard to urge voters to enter the polling station SK Datuk Bandar Gebak directly instead of first going to a BN operation center outside to check their voting details.
Some voters however insist on going to the BN operation center which provides free mineral water. PKR has not set up a 'pondok panas' at this polling station, which is banned by the Election Commission.
Unlike the carnival-like atmosphere in the peninsula, campaigners here are more subdue - there are no posters, banners or the shouting of slogans.
All eyes will be on Chinese-majority seats Pending and Padungan in the city centre, along with suburban seats of Batu Kawah, Batu Lintang and Kota Sentosa, where PKR and DAP candidates have put up a tough fight against SUPP.In downtown Malay-majority Satok, PBB stalwart Abang Johari Abang Openg is defending his seat against PKR newbie Ahmad Nazib Johari, who is expected to reduce the strongman's winning majority.
8.20am: Saribas - Several PKR campaigners, including Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin, are trying hard to urge voters to enter the polling station SK Datuk Bandar Gebak directly instead of first going to a BN operation center outside to check their voting details.
Some voters however insist on going to the BN operation center which provides free mineral water. PKR has not set up a 'pondok panas' at this polling station, which is banned by the Election Commission.
Unlike the carnival-like atmosphere in the peninsula, campaigners here are more subdue - there are no posters, banners or the shouting of slogans.
8.35am: Piasau (Miri) - The weather is good in Miri, the second largest city in Sarawak which will see SUPP defending three seats - Piasau, Pujut and Senadin - all located in the town centre.
Party boss Dr George Chan casts a vote for himself at SMK St Columba, one of the polling centre for his Piasau state seat.
"I will vote for Barisan Nasional," he quips before disappearing into the secondary school which is serving as a polling centre.
He also bumped into his opponent, Ling Sie Keong from DAP, who is visiting the polling centre. Ling, however, is not able to cast a vote for himself because he is a voter for Lambir, a state seat on the outskirt of Miri.
After casting his vote, Chan says he will put his trust on the people of Miri. "I has been with them for a long time. It is more important that we continue what we are doing and I am sure that they want us to continue."
Chan, who has held the seat since 1983, is fighting for his political survival in the wake of a strong 'anti-Taib' sentiment sweeping across most Sarawak cities.
Piasau is a Chinese-majority seat with a significant proportion of bumiputera voters (65% Chinese, 19% Malay/Melanau and 13% Iban).
8.45am: Bawang Assan (Sibu) - At the Bawang Assan polling station of SJK Chung Hua, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong together with candidate Alice Lau greet the voters.
"We think can win this polling station, but we hope that the majority will be high enough," Lim tells Malaysiakini.
However, shortly after that, a female voter in her 40s came out from the polling station, shook Lim and Lau's hands, and said: "Thank you very much, now leave us alone."
Party boss Dr George Chan casts a vote for himself at SMK St Columba, one of the polling centre for his Piasau state seat.
"I will vote for Barisan Nasional," he quips before disappearing into the secondary school which is serving as a polling centre.
He also bumped into his opponent, Ling Sie Keong from DAP, who is visiting the polling centre. Ling, however, is not able to cast a vote for himself because he is a voter for Lambir, a state seat on the outskirt of Miri.
After casting his vote, Chan says he will put his trust on the people of Miri. "I has been with them for a long time. It is more important that we continue what we are doing and I am sure that they want us to continue."
Chan, who has held the seat since 1983, is fighting for his political survival in the wake of a strong 'anti-Taib' sentiment sweeping across most Sarawak cities.
Piasau is a Chinese-majority seat with a significant proportion of bumiputera voters (65% Chinese, 19% Malay/Melanau and 13% Iban).
8.45am: Bawang Assan (Sibu) - At the Bawang Assan polling station of SJK Chung Hua, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong together with candidate Alice Lau greet the voters.
"We think can win this polling station, but we hope that the majority will be high enough," Lim tells Malaysiakini.
However, shortly after that, a female voter in her 40s came out from the polling station, shook Lim and Lau's hands, and said: "Thank you very much, now leave us alone."
SARAWAK ELECTION : LIVE REPORTS
