Nenggiri by-election on Aug 17

PETALING JAYA: The by-election for the Nenggiri state seat in Kelantan will be held on Aug 17, the Election Commission (EC) announced today.

In a press conference at the commission’s headquarters, EC chairman Ramlan Harun said nomination day for the candidates would be held on Aug 3, while early voting is set for Aug 13.

Kelantan state assembly speaker Amar Abdullah declared the Nenggiri seat vacant on June 19 after being notified that its assemblyman Azizi Abu Naim had ceased to be a member of Bersatu.

Bersatu said Azizi’s membership ceased after he failed to declare his loyalty to the party and because of his continued support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Azizi has since filed a suit to challenge his purported sacking as well as the vacancy of the Nenggiri state seat. His application for a temporary injunction to halt the by-election was denied by the High Court yesterday.

Azizi, who is also Gua Musang MP, was elected Nenggiri assemblyman during the August state election last year.

He defeated Umno’s Ab Aziz Yusoff, the former Nenggiri assemblyman, in a straight fight with an 810-vote majority, marking the first time Barisan Nasional had lost the seat since its creation in 2004.