Polls petitions fails, BN keeps Selising in Kelantan
Kelantan BN has retained the Selising state seat after the Kota Baru Election Court found in the coalition’s favour today.
Kelantan BN has retained the Selising state seat after the Kota Baru Election Court found in the coalition’s favour today.
The court allowed a preliminary objection by BN’s legal team, thereby resulting in the petition being struck out.
BN lawyer Hafarizam Harun argued that the petition had failed to comply with the rule of service, as well as failed to plead the alleged corrupt practices under Section 11 (1)(c) of the Election Offences Act.
Hafarizam later told Malaysiakini that Justice Zamani A Rahim allowed the preliminary objection and struck out the petition.
PAS candidate Dr Saipul Bahrim Mohamad, who lost to BN's Zulkiflee Ali by 107 votes in the May 5 polls, had filed the petition and was represented by Hisham Fauzi.
In the case of the election petition over the Machang parliamentary seat, the BN’s preliminary objection was against the appearance of lawyers Sivarasa Rasiah, Latheefa Koya and Afiq M Noor for defeated PKR candidate Wan Zawawi Wan Ismail.
Lawyers for the BN's Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub and also senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad who is acting for the Election Commission, argued that the trio had not been listed as counsel for Wan Zawawi, who had lost the seat by 805 votes.
When contacted, Sivarasa said Justice Zamani allowed the objection, but that Wan Zawawi would appeal the ruling in the Federal Court.
“He is allowed to have his lawyer of choice to represent him,” noted Sivarasa.
The Election Court will rule on another preliminary objection by the EC on the Machang parliamentary seat on July 16.
Hisham also told Malaysiakini that the election court judge Justice Zamani had also rejected the preliminary objectiosn posed by PAS on the Bachok parliamentary seat, and also the Jelawat and Gaal state seats.
“Hence, these three petitions will go for a full trial,” said Hisham.
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