Met after the Pahang state assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang in Kuantan today, Tuan Ibrahim said the decision was made at a PN Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Bernama reported.

Six-term Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin died last Friday, less than a week after being elected to a second term as Lamag assemblyman. The veteran politician was chairman of the Sabah chapters of Umno and Barisan Nasional.

The Election Commission is expected to meet on Dec 16 to determine the dates for the by-elections for the two seats.

Analysts have said it would be better to open the Kinabatangan and Lamag by-elections to contest than for political parties to make way for BN to retain the seats following Bung’s death.

Bilcher Bala and Syahruddin Awang Ahmad, both of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, said this would safeguard the interests of voters by returning the mandate to them instead of giving BN walkovers.