The Election Court in Kota Baru today struck out with costs a petition brought by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to nullify the outcome of the result for the Gaal state seat won by Tuan Mazlan Tuan Mat of PAS in the 13th general election.

Judge Zamani Abdul Rahim said the petition filed by BN election candidate Redzuan Stapha did not adhere to regulations in the Election Petition Rules 1954, including on the appointment of counsel and delivery of the petition notice.  

He ordered Redzuan to pay RM80,000 in costs, RM30,000 to the first respondent Tuan Mazlan and RM25,000 each to the second and third respondents, namely the returning officer for the Gaal state constituency and the Election Commission (EC).

Tuan Mazlan had beaten Redzuan by 302 votes to win the seat in the general election.

The BN was represented by counsel Mohd Ilias Mohd Noor and the returning officer and the EC, by senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad. PAS was represented by counsel Hisham Fauzi.

Meanwhile, the Election Court in Sibu today dismissed a petition brought by the BN to nullify the outcome of the GE13 for the Sarikei parliamentary seat won by the DAP.  

Judge Chew Soo Ho ruled that the petition filed by Ding Kuong Hing of the BN had failed to comply with several regulations of the Election Petition Rules 1954.

Ding, representing the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), lost by 505 votes to Wong Ling Biu of the DAP in the general election.

He had filed the petition on June 11.

Petitions for Bukit Katil, Bukit Baru also dismissed

In another development, the Election Court in Malacca today dismissed with costs the BN’s petitions to annul the outcome of the results for the Bukit Katil parliamentary seat and the Bukit Baru state seat in GE13.

The Bukit Katil parliamentary seat was won by the PKR, and the Bukit Baru state seat, PAS.

In rejecting them, judge Hue Siew Kheng said the petitions filed by BN candidate for Bukit Katil seat Mohd Ali Rustam and BN candidate for Bukit Baru seat Karim Yaacob did not have the complete facts to support the submitted petitions.

The court ordered RM15,000 each to be paid to Bukit Katil Member of Parliament Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, of PKR, and PAS’ Bukit Baru assemblyperson Dr Md Khalid Kassim, as well as the second (returning officer for Bukit Katil parliamentary constituency) and third (the EC) respondents.

Shamsul Iskandar defeated Mohd Ali by 5,447 votes for the Bukit Katil parliamentary seat while Md Khalid beat Karim by 48 votes for the Bukit Baru state seat.

PKR and PAS were represented by counsel Yusof Rahmat, the BN by counsel Rosfinah Rahmat, and the returning officer and EC by senior federal counsel Effandi Nazila Abdullah.

- Bernama