Critics had accused Umno’s leadership of allegedly trying to save themselves from a raft of corruption charges should they return to power, while ignoring public concerns over rising costs of daily necessities and the risk of potential floods just as the monsoon season set in.

Here are the live updates:

Nation prepares for vote count

Voter turnout reached 65 per cent or about 13.7 million people as at 3pm, according to the Election Commission, officially exceeding the total turnout of the 2018 national polls with three hours to spare.

The brisk turnout comes amid reports of voters navigating floods in several states, including a family of five in Kelantan that had to ride a boat to reach their polling centre, according to national news agency Bernama.

Police reportedly confirmed three deaths so far, involving one voter lining up to cast their ballot in Kelantan and two others in Johor. Inspector-general of police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani did not elaborate on the causes of death, according to Malay daily Berita Harian.

Acryl also confirmed that police had to step in and defuse a situation at a polling centre under the Hulu Selangor constituency, where a 27-year-old man believed to be suffering from mental illness snatched a bottle of indelible ink and knocked down a ballot box.

Turnout at 2pm level with 2018 total

About 58 per cent, or 12.28 million of 21.17 million registered voters, have cast their ballots as of 2pm, the Election Commission said. That figure is close to the 12.30 million people who voted in 2018’s watershed election.

With all eyes now on the close of voting at 6pm – and the subsequent commencement of vote counting – social media users in the interim period turned their attention to voters who turned up at polling centres in fancy costumes.

The Malaysiakini news portal reported that one voter was clad in full “Spiderman” attire, while another came dressed as War Machine. One voter who was not in a superhero costume was Jamie Chai, a voter in Selangor who cast her vote in her bridal dress ahead of her wedding on Saturday.

Selangor assemblyperson Michelle Chai posted a picture on Facebook of the bride. In response, Chai said she was “voting for a better future”. She wrote: Doing my part! Thank you everyone for your selflessness and letting me vote first!”

Khairy hopes for ‘new beginning’

Strong voter turnout

The voter turnout was on course to set a record, as 50 per cent or about 10.5 million people had cast their ballots as of 1pm (local time), according to data from the Election Commission.

The turnout is less than 2 million short of the total recorded during the 14th general election in 2018, which saw to the country’s first change of government since gaining independence from Britain in 1957.

Candidates also went on a traditional tour of polling centres in their constituencies for the requisite photo-ops and to monitor the vote progress. Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 hit out at the poll body for allowing PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to cast his ballot wearing a vest bearing his party’s logo, local media reported. Voters are not allowed to enter polling centres wearing any clothing or paraphernalia sporting party logos.

An independent candidate added some colour to the battle of ballots by turning up dressed as the “God of Prosperity” – replete with fake beard and sycee – to cast her vote in the urban constituency of Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur, The Star newspaper reported.

Social media platforms were awash with posts of purple fingers – proof that a voter had cast their ballot as they are required to dye a finger with indelible ink at the end of the process.

Many also urged voters who have yet to make the trip to their polling centres to do so soon, in anticipation of worsening weather.

Photos of a polling centre in a rural area in Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo has gone viral, showing voters lining up in knee-deep floodwaters to cast their ballots. Polling centres in several flood-hit areas in Sarawak had to be relocated, according to a report by Malay daily Berita Harian.

Meanwhile in the urban seat of Cheras, a 79-year-old man reportedly died in his car not long after voting. Paramedics confirmed that the resident – whose finger was marked with indelible ink – had died and arranged to send his body to a nearby hospital, according to Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily.

Heavyweights cast their vote

Zahid, the leader of the country’s powerful Umno party seeking to regain its dominance following a shock defeat in 2018, said he is confident the BN bloc would get the mandate to form the next government based on the report he received last night, Malaysiakini citing him as saying. BN would work with other coalitions to strengthen the position of the new government, the report said.

Anwar on Friday night said his Pakatan Harapan alliance will offer a stable government whose economic policies would benefit everyone if it is voted to power in the closely fought election.

“Malaysians who will go to the polls have a very good opportunity in sketching their future,” Anwar said in his final pitch to voters in Perak state. “This election is not about changing the Prime Minister. This election is the best chance to save the country and make sweeping changes.”

Wet and cold morning

Polling day opened to a wet and cold morning in Peninsular Malaysia, but it looked like the rain did not deter voters from coming out.

Pictures of long queues at multiple polling centres populated social media, with people lining up as early as 7am, a good hour before polls opened.

The morning was also greeted with news of the sudden death of a candidate contesting a state assembly seat in the state of Pahang. It was the second death during the two-week campaign.

Earlier this week, a contestant for the Padang Serai parliamentary seat in Kedah died after reportedly fainting at a campaign event.

The Malaysian Meteorological Service earlier issued a warning about possible thunderstorms on Saturday on the coasts of northern states Kelantan and Terengganu.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg