EC: Sept 8 is when both the Seri Setia and Balakong by-elections will be held.
PUTRAJAYA: The Seri Setia and Balakong by-elections will be held simultaneously, whereby nominations will be held on Aug 18. Polling has been set for Sept 8, says the Election Commission.
The campaign period is 21 days. EC deputy chairman Tan Sri Othman Mahmood said the decision to have concurrent by-elections was made based on logistical reasons.
“We took into account the logistics, security and the availability of election workers,” he told reporters after chairing a special meeting at the com- mission’s headquarters here yesterday.
Othman said Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain would be Returning Officer for the Seri Setia by-election.
A total of 895 workers would be involved and the cost involved was RM1.59mil, he said.
The Seri Setia by-election was called following the death of its incumbent Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin of PKR on Aug 2.
In GE14, Dr Shaharuddin won the seat for Pakatan Harapan in a four-cornered fight with a 19,372 majority.
The Balakong by-election was triggered after its assemblyman Eddie Ng died in a road accident on July 20.
The by-elections are the second and third to be held after the May 9 general election, with the first at Sungai Kandis. It was held on Aug 4.
The last time two by-elections were held concurrently were the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seats on June 18, 2016.