No by-election in Kempas - Johor Speaker

JOHOR BAHRU: There will be no by-election for Kempas although the state seat is now vacant following the death of its state assemblyman Datuk Osman Sapian yesterday, said Johor State Assembly Speaker Suhaizan Kaiat.

"Because it is more than three years after the last general election (GE) and there is no issue of a one-seat majority in the state assembly by the state government, there will be no by-election in Kempas, according to Article 23(5) of the Johor State Constitution," he said when contacted today.

Suhaizan, who is performing his umrah in the holy land, conveyed his condolences to the family of Osman and prayed that his soul be placed among the righteous.

In GE14 in 2018, Osman, 69, beat Ramlee Bohani of Barisan Nasional and Dzulkefli Suleiman of PAS by a 9,178-vote majority to win the seat on a Bersatu ticket.

He had also won the seat as an UMNO representative in the 10th, 11th and 12th general elections.

Osman, a former Johor Menteri Besar, died in his son's house in Damansara, Selangor, at 11.45 pm yesterday.

-- BERNAMA