IPOH: The Perak state government filed a suit at the High Court here yesterday to declare the Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang state seats vacant.

The suit was filed by Leong & Tan Advocates and Solictiors at the Ipoh High Court at 11.40am.

Perak Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar and senior state executive councillor Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham were present.

The assemblymen for the three seats — Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang), Kapt (B) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering) and Hee Yit Fong (Jelapang) — had claimed that their resignation letters signed soon after being elected in March last year were made under duress.

Sivakumar and Ngeh, in a joint statement, reiterated that Sivakumar had accepted the resignations of the three elected re-presentatives and the state government had recognised that they were no longer elected representatives of the said constituencies.

“This declaration is sought to compel the Election Commission to recognise that the said three seats have fallen vacant and by-elections must be called,” the statement said.

— Bernama