KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional welcomes the declaration of an emergency to postpone the by-election in Bugaya.
Its chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin was responding to a statement by the Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who had an audience with the King who consented to the Proclamation of Emergency.
Bung said the decision was timely as the country was still facing the Covid-19 pandemic.
"By stopping the by-election, it would help to prevent the current situation exacerbating, and prevents loss of lives.
"Sabah BN and Umno extend our appreciation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah for announcing the emergency proclamation for Bugaya state seat and to postpone the by-election," he said in a statement.
Apart from the Bugaya state seat, the king proclaimed a similar declaration for the Gerik parliamentary seat.
Bung reiterated that Sabah BN and Umno would not field any candidate for the Bugaya state seat should there be a by-election.
On Nov 27, the Election Commission fixed the Bugaya and Gerik by-elections to be held simultaneously on Jan 16 and for the nomination day to be held on Jan 4.
Parti Warisan Sabah's Bugaya assemblyman Manis Muka Mohd Darah died on Nov 17 a day after she was admitted into a hospital.
Meanwhile, Datuk Hasbullah Osman, the four-term Gerik Member of Parliament, died on Nov 16 due to heart ailment.