The Election Commission (EC) will have a special meeting to determine the dates for the nomination and by-election for the Sungai Limau state seat within 10 days of receiving the notice of its vacancy from the Kedah state assembly speaker.        

EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said he expected the notice within the next three days as the Kedah government offices were open during the weekend.

“Give us about a week. According to the law we have to call for the meeting within 10 days of the notification of the vacancy. Not later than that,” he said after receiving a courtesy call from the Myanmar Parliament speaker Thura U Shwe Mann at the EC office in Putrajaya today.  

Sungai Limau assemblyperson Azizan Abdul Razak, who was the former Kedah menteri besar, passed away yesterday morning at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar after more than four months of serious health complications.      

Abdul Aziz said he was given to understand that there were no early voters in this by-election as the records showed no police or armed forces personnel registered there.

Whereas there were only two individuals abroad registered for postal votes but the figure may increase if media or EC staff applied to do so, he added.  

He estimated the number of voters in the state constituency at more than  26,000 or 27,000 and said the actual figure would be announced later.    

With regard to the indelible ink, Abdul Aziz said it would still be used at the by-election as it was required by law.

Meanwhile, inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar said they have had a meeting on the impending by-election and were just waiting for the EC’s announcement of the date.  

“We’re just waiting for the announcement of the nomination and by-election dates by the EC. We're prepared for any eventuality,” he said.

The media quoted Kedah state legislative assembly speaker Md Rozai Safian as saying that he would send the notice of the state seat vacancy to the EC at the earliest on Sunday.   

- Bernama