KUALA TERENGGANU, 15 Jan 2009: Kuala Terengganu mayor Datuk Mat Razali Kassim has withdrawn as the returning officer for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election, the Election Commission (EC) announced today.

EC secretary Datuk Ngah Senik said in a statement today that Wan Mustafa Wan Hassan, the secretary of the Kuala Terengganu City Council, has been appointed with immediate effect as the returning officer.

Wan Mustafa was the assistant returning officer for the by-election.

Ngah said the EC received Mat Razali’s letter of withdrawal today and after a special meeting decided to accept his withdrawal.

He did not state why Mat Razali had quit. — Bernama