Perikatan Nasional (PN) has decided not to contest the upcoming Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections in Sabah.
The decision was confirmed by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man after the Pahang state assembly sitting in Kuantan today.
He told reporters the matter was finalised during PN’s Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Background to the Vacancies
The two seats fell vacant following the death of Bung Moktar Radin last Friday.
The six-term Kinabatangan MP had just won a second term as Lamag assemblyman in the recent Sabah state election.
He was also the Sabah chairman for Umno and Barisan Nasional.
Election Dates Pending
The Election Commission is scheduled to meet on December 16 to set the polling dates for both by-elections.
Analysts from Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Bilcher Bala and Syahruddin Awang Ahmad, believe the seats should be openly contested.
They argue that allowing competition is fairer to voters than handing Barisan Nasional automatic victories through walkovers.
This approach, they say, truly returns the mandate to the people of Kinabatangan and Lamag.
