KUALA LUMPUR — By-elections could be called in the Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary constituencies following the decision by former PKR leaders Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and former vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to resign from their seats after leaving the party.
Rafizi said the decision on whether by-elections are necessary rests with the Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat.
Speaking at a press conference in Petaling Jaya today, Rafizi said both leaders chose to return their mandates to the people after deciding to continue their political careers under Parti Bersama Malaysia (PBM).
“Everyone wanted to be MPs but wanted to switch parties. So what we are doing today is that we are surrendering the seats and returning those seats to the people,” he said.
Rafizi explained that parliamentary rules generally do not require by-elections if a vacancy occurs within the final three years of a parliamentary term. However, he added that the Speaker retains the authority to call by-elections if a vacancy affects the government’s majority.
He noted that the unity government would still maintain a comfortable majority even if both seats were vacated.
“The majority of the government is now 152. When we vacate, it becomes 150. That is still strong compared to the 112 seats needed,” he said.
Rafizi emphasised that their departure from PKR was principled and not the result of any political dispute.
Both leaders confirmed their plans to contest their former constituencies under PBM in the upcoming general election, with Rafizi seeking to return to Pandan and Nik Nazmi defending Setiawangsa.
Regarding PBM’s broader election strategy, Rafizi said it was too early to determine the number of seats the party might contest nationwide.
“It is too early to say now. I have given a clue earlier that our approach is we will look at all seats throughout the country,” he said, adding that voter response over the next one to two months would guide the party’s decisions.
“We will look at the data in the next two to three months. I think it’s premature to talk about how many seats now. You’ve just gone to the market, and we need to see the people’s response,” he said.
Rafizi also said PBM is considering the timing of any election participation, potentially around July or August, depending on ground sentiment and readiness.
“By that time, we will be able to decide better based on need and acceptance to compete,” he said.
He outlined PBM’s independent stance, emphasising that the party is not aligned with any coalition and intends to contest as a multi-racial party.
“Our rule is this. We are not going for any coalition. We are multi-racial. And we can compete in any seat,” he added.
Both Rafizi and Nik Nazmi’s resignations from PKR will take effect tomorrow, May 18, 2026, leaving their parliamentary seats officially vacant following their announcement as leaders of PBM. – May 17, 2026