Polling for the Sungai Bakap state by-election which began this morning ran smoothly without any untoward incidents. Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said so far polling has been going well and voters have been coming to the polling stations early to carry out their responsibilities. 'As of 10.30 this morning, we have not received any police reports or complaints with regard to the progress of the polling process today, and I hope everything goes on smoothly until the end of voting this evening," he said when contacted by Bernama today. Meanwhile, a Bernama survey found several routes leading to the polling stations were slightly congested due to people coming out early to cast their votes. However, police helped to disperse traffic and advised motorists to park their vehicles in permitted places to avoid severe congestion in the polling station areas. A total of nine polling stations, with 65 voting streams, are open today from 8 am to 6 pm. A total of 39,151 registered voters are eligible to vot e in the by-election. The Sungai Bakap state assembly by-election sees a one-on-one clash between Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dr Joohari Ariffin and Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Abidin Ismail. It is being held following the death of incumbent Nor Zamri Latiff on May 24. Source: BERNAMA News Agency