PUTRAJAYA : The Election Commission has been informed of the vacancies in the parliamentary seats of Kuala Kangsar and Sungai Besar and will meet on Friday to set the dates for the by-elections.
EC secretary Datuk Abdul Ghani Salleh (pic) said the commission was informed of the vacancies by the Dewan Rakyat at 6pm on Monday.
The seats fell vacant following the deaths of Datuk Noriah Kasnon and Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, the MPs of Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar respectively, in a helicopter crash in Sarawak last week.
"In line with Article 54 (1) of the Federal Constitution, the vacancies in the two seats will have to be filled.
"The EC will call for a meeting to determined the important dates for the elections including early voting, nomination and polling," he said.
EC chairman Datuk Mohd Hashim Abdullah will be chairing the meeting and a press conference is scheduled to be held after that.
Noriah was Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister while Wan Mohammad Khair-il was chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
They were among six people who perished when the helicopter they were in crashed near Sebuyau in Sarawak on May 5.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
