THE Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election will be held simultaneously with the state elections on August 12, the Election Commission (EC) announced today. 

EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said nomination day is July 29, while early voting is on August 8.

The by-election was called after the Terengganu Election Court on June 27 nullified the victory of PAS’ Ahmad Amzad Hashim during the 15th general election on November 19 last year, after finding that the petitioner, Mohd Zubir Embong of Barisan Nasional, had succeeded in proving that corruption had taken place with the aim of influencing voters in the election.

PAS decided to not appeal against the court’s decision. 

Ghani said the deadline for early voting applications is Friday for Malaysians residing overseas and for agencies or organisations, and July 26 for media, army, police and election officers.

“The postal vote applications approved for the four state assemblies under the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat for the state elections will be also be given postal ballot papers for the parliamentary by-election,” Ghani told a press conference in Putrajaya today. 

Ghani said the voter data used for the Kuala Terengganu by-election will be the data registered with EC until April. 

A total of 125,575 voters are registered to cast their ballots in the by-election, which will cost RM465,000.

Ghani said the EC has appointed an election management officer, who will be assisted by 19 others. 

“To monitor campaigning activities throughout the campaign period, the EC has established a total of four election campaign enforcement teams, which are made of representatives from the police, local councils and from contesting candidates,” he said. 

Two weeks back, the EC announced that the date for the six state polls are on August 12. 

A total of 245 state seats will be contested – 32 in Terengganu, 36 each in Kedah and Negri Sembilan, 40 in Penang, 45 in Kelantan, and 56 in Selangor.

The EC chief said there will be 3,450 polling centres with 17,425 polling stations and channels, of which 260 will be early voting centres with 377 polling stations. – July 18, 2023.