By Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief

KUALA LUMPUR: - It could not have come at a worse time for Barisan Nasional (BN). Two unexpected by-elections loom after an opposition MP in Perak died yesterday and an opposition assemblyman in Kedah quit his seat.

Mr Roslan Shaharum, 50, of Parti Islam SeMalaysia, who won the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak in the general election last March, died of a heart attack.

Across the border in Kedah, Bukit Selambau assemblyman V.Arumugam, 57, of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), resigned his seat over claims that he had been under intense pressure to defect to BN.

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