KOTA KINABALU – The Election Commission (EC) is poised to decide whether the Lamag seat will see a by-election following the death of Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who had secured a narrow win in the recent Sabah polls.
Former assemblyman Datuk James Ligunjang explained that the Speaker has no legal basis to declare a vacancy since Bung Moktar had not been sworn in as an assemblyman.
As a result, the EC will determine the appropriate course of action for the Lamag seat.
On the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, he noted that a by-election might not be necessary as the current federal term ends in 2027, and the law exempts vacancies occurring within two years of Parliament’s expiry.
Bung Moktar died at the age of 66 less than a week after successfully defending his Lamag seat.