A witness told the Election Court hearing the petition filed by Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Isnin Asliah to annul the 13th general election result for the Klias state seat that he saw a PKR agent giving an envelope to his friend.     

Lister Mahal, 31, who is the first witness, said he saw the agent, who is known as Wong Kui En @ Norliah, gave the envelope to his friend, Saliman Salamat, when she (Norliah) and two other women, went to Saliman's house at about 5pm on May 4 this year.     

He said he knew Norliah and the two women as they were from the same village, known as Kampung Selagon, Beaufort.     

However, he said, he could not hear what was spoken by Norliah and Saliman as they were quite far from where he was sitting.     

"Norliah and the two women then left Saliman's house. Saliman then opened the envelope given by Norliah in front of me and I saw there was a RM50 note and a coupon," he said when testifying before Judge Yew Jen Kee.     

Lister, a labourer, said the coupon was written the name Lajim Ukin for parliament and John Ghani, the PKR candidate for the Kuala Penyu state seat.     

"That was all that I can remember. There were other writings, but I don't remember," he said, adding that the women were in a white T-shirt with the PKR logo.     

Earlier, Yew dismissed an objection filed by Lajim and ordered him to pay costs of RM5,000 to Isnin.     

In the petition, Isnin named Lajim, the state PKR chairman who won the Klias seat, as the first respondent, while returning officer for the Klias state seat Jupari @ Jupty Etok and the Election Commission (EC) as the second and third respondent, respectively.     

However, on Aug 5, Yew ordered the EC and the returning officer for the Klias state seat to be removed as respondents on grounds that the petitioner had failed to comply with provisions under the Election offences Act.     

Isnin filed the petition, claiming that there were alleged corruption and irregularities during the election campaign.     

Isnin was represented by lawyers Jaapar Esteban, Rizuan M Borhan and Saiful Azian Mokhtar, while Lajim was represented by lawyers Chau Chin Tang and Lawrence Thien.  

In the May 5 general election, Lajim won the seat with a majority of 179 votes.     

- Bernama