THE Dewan Rakyat speaker has declared the Kuala Terengganu seat vacant after the PAS incumbent did not appeal the High Court decision nullifying his win in the November general election.

Speaker Johari Abdul said in a statement that he received the notification via a letter dated July 13 from Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh.

Incumbent Kuala Terengganu MP Ahmad Amzad Mohamed did not file an appeal against the court decision.

The 14-day appeal period ended on Tuesday.

“The High Court on Tuesday also issued a confirmation declaring that the general election win for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat on November 19, 2022 as invalid,” said Johari.

“As such, the Election Commission will hold a by-election to fill the seat within 60 days of the vacancy.”

Amzad won the seat by 40,907 votes.

However, last month, the Kuala Terengganu High Court declared the victory null and void after finding corruption in the campaign to influence voters.

Judge Mohd Firuz Jaffril said the petitioner, Mohd Zubir, had proved beyond reasonable doubt that there was bribery in the election campaign.

He said even though the petitioner was not called as a witness, there was enough evidence to void the Kuala Terengganu results under section 36 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

Last week, in confirming the Islamist party’s decision not to appeal the decision to the Federal Court, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan hoped the by-election could be held simultaneously with the state polls.  

Takiyuddin said PAS’ decision not to appeal was because it would take the court a long time to decide.

He said it could be take at least another six months before a higher court hears the appeal.

“PAS simply does not want to leave the constituency without an elected representative to service the people there,” he said. – July 14, 2023.