Arthur Joseph Kurup (photo) retains his position as the Pensiangan MP after the Federal Court upheld the decision of the Election Court to strike out the appeal by the PKR Pensiangan candidate Raymond Ahuar.

The five-judge bench made the ruling in Putrajaya today.

The bench comprised Court of Appeal president Ahmad Maarop, Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim, Federal Court Judge Azahar Mohamed, and Federal Court judges Idrus Harun and Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim.

The court also instructed Raymond to pay Arthur RM40,000 in cost. Counsel Lawrence Thien represented Arthur, while Alex Decena was for Raymond.

In the 14th general election in May last year, Arthur won by a majority of 2,314 votes in a five-cornered contest. He garnered 11,783 votes to Raymond's 9,469.

In June, Raymond filed an election petition on the grounds that Arthur used money politics. but this was dismissed by the Election Court in Kota Kinabalu in November last year.