No by-election for Subang Parliament seat after it's vacated

No by-election will be held for the Subang parliamentary seat in Malaysia after its incumbent, Wong Chen, resigned. The decision was confirmed by the Secretary of the Election Commission (SPR), Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus, who cited Article 54 (1) of the Federal Constitution.

According to the constitution, a by-election is only required if a parliamentary seat becomes vacant within three years prior to the dissolution of Parliament. Khairul Shahril confirmed that Wong Chen's resignation occurred after this three-year mark, rendering a by-election unnecessary. The Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Tan Sri Johari Abdul, had previously announced the vacancy of the Subang seat following Wong Chen's submission of his resignation letter.

Wong Chen, who had conveyed his resignation notice to Johari on August 5, expressed his gratitude to the Speaker and parliamentary staff. He was reportedly planning a press conference, though its location was not disclosed. Wong Chen is known as a close ally of former PKR Vice President Datuk Seri Mohd. Rafizi Ramli.

Prior to his resignation, Wong Chen was among five PKR Members of Parliament who voiced dissatisfaction regarding restricted access to the MyKhas portal, a system used for managing constituency development funds. The other MPs who shared this concern were Rodziah Ismail (Ampang), Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya), S. Kesavan (Sungai Siput), and Zahir Hassan (Wangsa Maju). This issue appears to be a significant factor leading to Wong Chen's decision to step down.

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There is no need to hold a by-election. It is true (it has been more than three years).