PUTRAJAYA, April 8 ― The Rompin by-election might be held simultaneously with the Permatang Pauh by-election on May 7, the Election Commission (EC) said today.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said an official decision had not been made yet and will be done this Friday.

“There is a big possibility (of Rompin and Permatang Pauh by-election to be held simultaneously),” he told reporters at a news conference here.

“But you have to wait until this Friday to find out,” Abdul Aziz added.

The Pahang federal seat fell vacant after Rompin MP Tan Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis died in a helicopter crash that also killed five others last Saturday evening in Semenyih .

“If you look at the date of official notice of vacancy between the two seats, they are just four days apart,” Abdul Aziz said.

The Permatang Pauh seat was officially declared vacant on April 1 after its elected representative, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was disqualified following his sodomy conviction.

The Rompin seat was declared vacant on April 5.

In the last general election, the late Jamaluddin retained Rompin when he beat former Wanita PAS chief Nuridah Mohd Salleh by a majority of 15,114 votes.

He had held Rompin seat for 23 years.

Anwar also retained the Permatang Pauh seat in the 2013 general election when he  defeated BN's Dr Mazlan Ismail by 11,721-vote majority.

The Penangite is currently serving a five-year jail term after the Federal Court upheld his sodomy conviction.

He had failed to win a royal pardon.