January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
KOTA KINABALU, Dec 9 — The Election Commission (EC) will convene a special meeting on December 16 to set the key dates for the by-elections for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat and the Lamag state seat following the death of Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin last week.
In a statement, EC secretary Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said the commission received official notification of the unexpected vacancies from Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul on December 8 and Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M. Yahya on December 9.
Under Article 54(1) of the Federal Constitution and Article 21(5) of the Sabah State Constitution, any unexpected vacancy for a parliamentary or state seat must be filled within 60 days from the date the vacancy is officially confirmed by the EC.
The special meeting, to be chaired by EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun, will determine key election details, including the issuance of the election writ, nomination day, polling day, the electoral roll to be used, as well as logistical arrangements for both by-elections.
A press conference will be held immediately after the meeting.
Bung, who was also the Sabah Umno chairman, served six terms as Member of Parliament for Kinabatangan and was a prominent figure in both Parliament and Sabah’s political landscape.
He passed away on December 5 due to lung and kidney complications following a gruelling election campaign period.
