Speaker will notify vacancy for Pengkalan Kubor state assembly seat to EC

KOTA BARU: Kelantan State Assembly Speaker Abdullah Ya'kub (pix) will notify the Elections Commission (EC) about the vacancy for the Pengkalan Kubor state constituency seat as soon as possible.
Abdullah said he was just waiting for the official verification of the death of state assemblyman Datuk Noor Zahidi Omar early today.
"For the moment, we are just focusing on the process to bring back his body home as he died abroad.
"However, if his body is brought back today and we get the death certificate, we will quickly inform the EC about the vacancy at the latest by tomorrow," he said when contacted by Bernama, here today.
A notice of vacancy has to be submitted to the EC to allow for a by-election to be held within 60 days after it has been gazetted.
Noor Zahidi, 57, died from liver cancer at 5.45am in a hospital in Guangzhou, China, today.
He had been the state assemblyman for Pengkalan Kubor for three terms and Tumpat Umno division head for four terms.
During the general election last year, he represented Barisan Nasional to beat Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Saharun Ibrahim and independent candidate Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary with a majority of 1,736 votes.
Meanwhile, Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakub sent his condolences to Noor Zahidi's family after receiving the news of his death early today.
"I was informed before subuh prayers by his family," he told reporters after chairing the Kelantan state exco meeting here today. – Bernama