No need for by-election in Lenggong: EC

PUTRAJAYA: The Election Commission has decided that there is no need for a by-election for the Lenggeng state seat in Negri Sembilan, which fell vacant following the death of its incumbent Datuk Ishak Ismail on July 18.
EC member Datuk Md Yusop Mansor said the commission had been officially notified of the vacancy by Negri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Dr Awaludin Said.
He said the Negri Sembilan state constitution did not require a vacancy to be filled if it happened within two years before the State Assembly's mandate expired unless the Speaker stated in writing that a by-election was necessary.
"The Speaker in notifying the vacancy did not state a by-election was necessary. In view of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly's mandate expiring by June next year, the EC has decided that a by-election need not be held," he said in a statement here today.
Ishak died of a heart attack at 11.25pm on Tuesday at the Tengku Ampuan Najihah Hospital in Kuala Pilah.
The Barisan Nasional assemblyman was reported to have fainted while attending an Aidifitri Open House hosted by his Sri Menanti counterpart Datuk Abdul Samad Ibrahim before he was rushed to the hospital.
In the 13th General Election held in May 2013, Ishak defeated Zulkefly Mohamad Omar of PAS and independent candidate Zulkifli Abdullah by a majority of 2058 votes. — Bernama