EC to discuss possibility of holding by-elections at same time

SHAH ALAM: The Election Commission (EC) will take polling locations, security and logistics into consideration while discussing whether to hold the Balakong and Seri Setia byelections simultaneously.

Its deputy chairman Tan Sri Othman Mahmood said these details must be taken into account and the decision will be made in a meeting expected to be held at the EC headquarters on Wednesday.

“The meeting will also decide on the date for the Seri Setia byelection,” he said.

Othman was speaking to reporters on Saturday at the end of the Sungai Kandis vote counting process at the Shah Alam City Council.

On the 49.4% voter turnout in Sungai Kandis, he said the EC had made improvements by increasing the number of polling channels from two to three, providing buggies and extending the polling time.

“It will be the same in the Balakong and Seri Setia byelections,” he said.

The Sungai Kandis byelection saw PKR retaining the state seat with a majority of 5,842 votes.

The Balakong byelection will be held on Sept 8 following the death of its incumbent Ng Tien Chee in a road crash on July 20, while a byelection for the Seri Setia state seat will be called following the death of its incumbent Prof Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin from cancer last Thursday.

Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari said the low turnout in Sungai Kandis could be due to the absence of urgency to bring down a government unlike what happened in the general election.

“The byelection was held just after the general election, and voters were comfortable with the present government,” he said.