KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) today said it will not contest in the Jepak state by-election in Sarawak on November 4.

Instead, PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the coalition will be focusing on defending the Kemaman parliamentary seat.

"It is to be informed that the Perikatan Nasional Supreme Council has decided that PN will not put forward a candidate to run in the by-election to fill the vacancy in the state assembly seat of Jepak, Sarawak.

"Perikatan Nasional will focus on defending the Kemaman parliamentary seat in the by-election to be held on December 2, 2023,” he said in a statement this evening.

Hamzah added that party components in PN are currently occupied with the Party’s Annual General Meeting at the branch, divisional and national levels.

The Election Commission (EC) has set November 4 as polling day for the Jepak state by-election.

It will be held following the death of its incumbent, Datuk Talib Zulpilip, 72, last September 15 due to kidney complications. He was the Jepak Assemblyman for six terms since 1996.

Jepak is in the Bintulu parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, EC has set polling day for the Kemaman parliamentary by-election in Terengganu on December 2.

The Kemaman by-election is being held following a decision by the Terengganu Elections Court last September 26 to annul PAS candidate Che Alias Hamid’s victory in the 15th general election after the petitioner, Wan Mohamad Hisham Wan Abdul Jalil (a voter), was able to prove that corruption had taken place in the election.

PAS decided not to appeal against the decision.