PUTRAJAYA, March 7 — There is no need for the Election Commission (EC) to hold by-elections to fill the unexpected vacancy of four state seats in Penang, said EC secretary Datuk Ikmalrudin Ishak.

The four seats are Seberang Jaya, Sungai Acheh, Bertam and Telok Bahang, he said in a statement today.

Ikmalrudin said EC had received the notification from Penang Assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang via a letter yesterday on the status of the unexpected vacancy after a motion to declare the seats vacant was made under Article 14A of the Penang State Constitution.

"Based on the notification and taking into consideration the provisions of Clause (5) Article 19 of the Penang State Constitution, there is no need for EC to fill the unexpected vacancy considerating the Penang State Legislative Assembly would be dissolved in less than two years,” he said.

The Penang Assembly yesterday passed the motion to declare vacant the four state seats of Bersatu.

The four assemblymen, Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya); Zulkfili Ibrahim (Sungai Acheh); Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq (Bertam) and Zolkifly Md Lazim (Teluk Bahang) were ordered to leave the state assembly. — Bernama