KIMANIS (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Voters in Sabah started streaming into polling centres for the Kimanis parliamentary by-election when polls opened at 7.30am on Saturday (Jan 18).

Retired policeman Juanis Puduk was the first to cast his vote at Stream 1 in SK Our Lady of Fatima at Kampung Kelatuan, which is the polling district for Barisan Nasional candidate Mohamad Alamin.

"In the last general election, I came at 10am, but based on experience, it is better to come early.

"My wife, who is also voting at this polling district, and I have not had our breakfast, so after this we will find something to eat," said the 72-year-old from Kampung Langkawit.

The Election Commission (EC) has forecast a 70 per cent voter turnout for the 29,619 eligible voters.

As of 12pm, voter turnout was 50.37 per cent, according to the EC website.

There are 19 polling districts with 68 polling stations, which will be closed at 5pm. Official results are expected by 10pm at the latest.

A total of 650 electoral staff are on duty and the EC for the first time has set up video cameras at the stations for recording purposes.

The Kimanis by-election is a straight fight between Parti Warisan Sabah's Datuk Karim Bujang and Datuk Mohamad.

It is also the 10th by-election since the Pakatan Harapan coalition ousted long-ruling Barisan Nasional from power in the May 2018 general election.

The Kimanis seat was declared vacant after the Federal Court on Dec 2 upheld the Election Court's ruling nullifying former foreign minister Anifah Aman's victory in the 14th General Election in May 2018.

Datuk Anifah had won the seat with a 156-vote majority, securing 11,942 votes against Mr Karim's 11,786 votes, while another candidate, Mr Jaafar Ismail of Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, had obtained 1,300 votes.