KUALA LUMPUR – The Padang Serai polls for Saturday’s general election is expected to be postponed following the sudden death of Pakatan Harapan candidate M. Karupaiya three days before polling day.
The Election Commission is expected to make a decision on Padang Serai soon.
Elections expert G. Manimaran said the EC is accorded the authority to postpone the elections for Padang Serai under Rule 11(6) Election Regulations (Conduct of Elections 1981).
“So, essentially Padang Serai will become a by-election after the general election,” he told The Vibes.
Manimaran said this situation has happened at least twice before – in 1982 when Gemenceh assemblyman Datuk Mohd Taha Talib was murdered eight days before the sixth general election, and in 1969 when the Melaka Selatan candidate died.
Karupaiya was in a six-cornered fight with Barisan Nasional’s Datuk C. Sivarraajh, Pejuang’s Hamzah Abd Rahman, Perikatan Nasional’s Datuk Cikgu Azman, Warisan’s Mohd Bakhri Hashim and independent Ananda A. K. – The Vibes, November 16, 2022
