KUALA KRAI: Some 76.2 percent or 9,359 of 12,293 voters have cast their votes in the Manik Urai state by-election as of 1pm, Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said.

Describing the percentage as "very good," he said, it was the highest voter turnout in Peninsular Malaysia so far.

He told Bernama when contacted that with the latest development, the voter turnout could reach up to 90 percent, surpassing the EC's target of 85 percent.

Except for several minor incidents involving supporters of both parties, the voting process proceeded smoothly as soon as polling stations were opened at 8 a.m.

The weather was fine and most of the voters who came out early were the elderly and the middle-aged.

Meanwhile, traffic jams are building up in several roads in Manik Urai which were made worse by hundreds of cars parked on road shoulders.

One of the worst affected roads was the one leading to Sekolah Kebangsaan Peria, one of the polling centres, with traffic jam stretching up to five kilometres.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Abd Rahim Hanafi urged motorists to avoid using the Kuala Krai-Gua Musang road due to the jam and instead use an alternative route to Kuala Krai via Jalan Kampung Chuchoh Puteri A to Guchil.

So far, he said, two party supporters were injured when they were hit by stones thrown by unidentified people at the Sungai Peria polling station.

Both supporters were sent to Kuala Krai Hospital.

The votes will be tallied at the Dewan Petra, SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 1, and the result is expected to be known by 8 p.m.

The by-election is a straight fight between Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, 39, of Barisan Nasional and Mohd Fauzi Abdullah, 50, of PAS. (Bernama)