KUANTAN, Dec 10 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) has decided against fielding any candidates for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and the Lamag state by-elections in Sabah.

PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, when met after the Pahang State Legislative Assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang here today, said this was decided during the PN Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Yesterday, Election Commission (EC) secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said it would hold a special meeting to determine the key dates for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and the Lamag state by-elections on December 16.

This is due to the unexpected vacancies for both seats following the death of the incumbent Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin on December 5.

Bung Moktar passed away at a private hospital in Kota Kinabalu at 1.46am on December 5 — less than a week after being elected as the Lamag state assemblyman for a second term. He was 66.

In the 17th Sabah State Election on November 29, Bung Moktar, who was also the Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman, retained his Lamag state seat with a majority of 153 votes in a six-cornered fight.

In the national political arena, Bung Moktar began as the Kinabatangan Member of Parliament after winning the seat at the 10th General Election in November 1999, before continuing to serve for six consecutive terms. — Bernama