The much-anticipated straight-fight between MCA and Keadilan kicks off this morning with some 8,000 voters casting their ballots to decide their new Indera Kayangan state assemblyperson.

Polling started at 8am and will end at 5pm. The result is expected to be announced by 8pm.

Seven schools are being used as polling stations in the constituency. They are at Padang Katong, Derma, Pekan Lama Kangar, Pengkalan Assam, Pekan Baru Kangar, Seberang Bakau, and Ganding.

Voters will choose between MCA's Oui Ah Lan, a 58-year-old retired headmistress and her 60-year-old former teaching colleague, Keadilan's Khoo Yang Chong.

Perlis state police chief Mohd Radzali Shahlason said people should come out and vote for their choice of candidate without any fear or worries. He also urged all political party members and supporters to behave themselves abide by ethics.

"There is no need to create trouble and threaten the security," Mohd Radzali was quoted as saying by government television RTM last night. Police have deployed a helicopter to monitor traffic situation in the area today.

Go early advice

A spokesperson for the Elections Commission said the situation is under control and the turnout percentage for the by-election would known by noon.

He advised voters to go to their polling centres early to avoid congestion in the afternoon.

Indera Kayangan, in the heart of state capital Kangar, has 7,976 voters, of which 47.40 percent are Malays, 46.40 percent Chinese, 5.40 percent Indians, and 0.79 percent others.

In the 1999 general elections, MCA's Khor Liang Tee defeated Keadilan's Ko Chu Liang by 1,974 votes. Khor died of colon cancer on Dec 19 last year.

Of the majority he scored, 668 votes came from Pekan Baru Kangar, an area with 71 percent Chinese voters. Another 489 votes came in from Pekan Lama Kangar where 84.40 percent of the voters are Chinese.

The only area where Ko scored a majority over the late Khor, by 72 votes, was Seberang Bakau, an area with 92.62 percent Malays.