KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia’s king on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in a parliamentary constituency in the eastern state of Sabah to prevent a by-election being held there, citing fears that it could lead to a fresh coronavirus outbreak. The Southeast Asian nation has seen a sharp spike in cases in recent weeks, with the total number of coronavirus infections rising to more than 50,000 cases on Wednesday. Sabah, on Borneo island, has been worst-hit by the recent jump, reporting nearly half of the country’s infections, most of which were linked to an election held there in September.