GUA MUSANG: The Nenggiri by-election will only be held in August but almost 80 per cent of the hotels in the district are already fully booked.
The hotels, ranging from one to three stars, started to receive bookings since two weeks ago.
According to Gua Musang Umno deputy chief Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim, most of the hotels were located in Gua Musang town.
"The coming Nenggiri by-election will turn Gua Musang into a busiest town in the state and it will attract people from all over the country.
"Members and supporters from various political parties as well as officers from both the federal and state governments will be camping in Gua Musang.
"Since two weeks ago, they have started to book hotels in Gua Musang as they will be staying here for longer periods, both for campaigning and during the election," he added.
He said the operators in Gua Musang did not increase the room rates.
"I was informed that the hotel operators did not take the opportunity of the election season to increase the rates and it remains the same," he added.
Because there were only a few rooms left, Syahbuddin who is Galas assemblyman said those who planned to stay in Gua Musang during the election period, can look to homestays as their second choice.
"There are a lot of homestays in the Nenggiri area and political party members or those who are involved in the by-election, can rent the many options there," he added.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed Aug 17 for the Nenggiri by-election.
EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said the nomination of candidates for the state seat by-election would be held on Aug 3, while early voting is set for Aug 13.
Ramlan said the by-election would see 20,259 voters going to the polls and the EC has allocated RM1.6 million for the process.
The election was called after the Kelantan state assembly declared the Nenggiri state seat vacant on June 19.
This was following former state assemblyman Mohd Azizi Abu Naim's cessation of his membership in Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, relayed through an official notice to him on June 13.
Mohd Azizi is also the member of parliament for Gua Musang.
It was reported that Mohd Azizi had filed a legal bid to halt the polls and also sought to challenge his termination from the party.
He filed the originating summons at the High Court here on Monday by naming party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and Kelantan state assembly speaker Datuk Seri Mohd Amar Abdullah as defendants.
The High Court, however, dismissed his interim injunction on grounds that there was no irreparable harm since Mohd Azizi could participate in the by-election.