YONG PENG: Efforts have been ramped up to bring more voters to the polls, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

       The MCA president said that voter turnout was rather slow as of noon on Saturday (March 12).

       ''I have gathered reports from every polling centre and it seems that the voter turnout has been rather slow.

       ''With less than six hours left, we need to work harder (to encourage voters to come out),'' he said when met after voting at the SK Yong Peng polling centre.

       Earlier, Dr Wee and his wife Datin Seri Jessica Lim Hai Ean cast their votes.

       Dr Wee also urged voters to come out early, as scattered thunderstorms are expected in the afternoon.

       ''We are worried if it rains later. So our machinery will do our best to chauffeur as many voters as possible to the polling centres,'' he added.

       The Yong Peng state seat has 33,053 eligible voters.

       There will be a three-cornered fight in the Yong Peng state seat, with Barisan Nasional's Ling Tian Soon against Pakatan Harapan's Alan Tee Boon Tsong and Perikanan Nasional's Susan Wong.

       Earlier, Ling and his wife Tan Thin Thin cast their votes at the SK Yong Peng polling centre.

       Both were seen showing their inked fingers to waiting media outside at about 9.20am.

       Before this, Pekan Nanas Barisan Nasional-MCA candidate Tan Eng Meng was seen casting his vote at about 9.10am.

       He cast his vote at the SMK Dato Mohd Yunos Sulaiman polling centre in Pekan Nanas, Pontian.

       Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional-MCA candidate for the Johor Jaya seat Chan San San was seen leaving the Sekolah Agama Tun Hussien Onn Plentong polling centre in Johor Baru at about 8.45am.

       This is a polling centre in the constituency she is contesting.