KUALA TERENGGANU, June 27 — The Terengganu state assembly today notified the Election Commission (EC) of the vacant Kuala Besut state seat.

Assembly Speaker Mohd Zubir Embong handed the letter to state EC director Fakhrul Razi Ab Wahab at the former’s office at Wisma Darul Iman at 10am.

The seat fell vacant following the death of the assemblyman, Dr A. Rahman Mokhtar, 55, of lung cancer yesterday.

Fakhrul Razi said he would hand over the notification to EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof today.

“The by-election for Kuala Besut must be held by August 27,” he told reporters.

The election rules stipulate that a by-election must be held within 60 days of the official notification of a vacancy.

A. Rahman was chairman of the state Health and Women, Family and Community Development Committee.

In the May 5 general election he retained the seat for Barisan Nasional (BN) after beating Napisah Ismail of PAS by a majority of 2,434 votes.

The BN garnered a simple majority to form the Terengganu state government after winning 17 seats. PAS has 14 seats in the assembly while PKR has one. — Bernama