Independent candidate files bid to void Masidi's Karanaan win

An independent candidate for the Karanaan state seat in the recent Sabah election has filed a judicial review against the victory of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) secretary-general Masidi Manjun, alleging electoral misconduct and procedural irregularities.

According to court documents sighted by Malaysiakini, the Dec 26 application was filed by Naomi @ Neomi Francis, who is seeking the Kota Kinabalu High Court to quash the Election Commission’s (EC) declaration of Masidi (above) as the winner and to order fresh polls.

The matter is now fixed for mention on Feb 4, 2026, before High Court judge Alexander Siew How Wai.

The EC and Masidi are named as respondents in the application.

Unlike a conventional election petition, the applicant is pursuing a judicial review, arguing that the EC allegedly failed in its legal and constitutional duty to ensure that the Karanaan election was conducted fairly and in accordance with the law.

‘Cash handouts’

In her court filing, Naomi alleges that the Karanaan contest was affected by what she describes as “pervasive corrupt practices”.

Court documents sighted by Malaysiakini state that the election was allegedly “vitiated by extensive corrupt practices committed in connection with the campaign and polling, primarily vote-buying/bribery, as well as treating of voters and acts of undue influence.”

The judicial review application also claims there were purported incidents of cash handouts to voters, described as payments allegedly ranging from RM100 to RM200.

According to the filing, the purported cash distributions were said to have been carried out “with clear inducements to vote for Masidi” and were allegedly carried out “in at least four different localities in Karanaan.”

The document further alleges that a purported campaign agent allegedly “openly handed out cash to voters while conveying that the money was an ‘amanah from Datuk Masidi’,” and claims that multiple voters purportedly swore affidavits stating they received RM100 to RM200 with alleged instructions on voting preference.

The judicial review challenges both his declared victory and the EC’s conduct in managing the poll.

The High Court will first decide whether to grant leave for the judicial review to proceed.

If allowed, the case could test whether Malaysian courts are prepared to consider judicial review challenges to election outcomes, an area traditionally governed through election petitions.

Procedural irregularities

Masidi won with 7,081 votes, defeating six other challengers: Anuar Ghani Gilong @ Philip (Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku), Mukinin @ Mazlan Daiman (Warisan), Karim Adam (Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat), Nadzmin Kamin (BN), Georgina George (Upko), and Naomi.

The applicant further alleges procedural irregularities involving polling agents and election documentation.

The court document alleges “material irregularities in the conduct of polling,” including an incident in which the applicant’s polling agent was allegedly denied access at the start of polling and issues with the provision of Form 14.

Naomi argues that the alleged failures amounted to a breach of voters’ and candidates’ “legitimate expectation of a free and fair election”.

She contends that judicial review is necessary to address what she claims are administrative and constitutional shortcomings.

Masidi, one of GRS’ most senior figures and a key leader in the state administration, was declared the winner of Karanaan with a comfortable majority.

As former Sabah state finance minister, Masidi was among GRS leaders implicated in the mining licence corruption scandal, and he had since December last year denied the claims exposed by businessperson Albert Tei.

At the time, Masidi also assisted in the MACC probe, which has so far resulted in charges against Tei, for allegedly offering bribes to two former assemblypersons - Andi Suryady Bandy and Yusof Yaacob - also charged with allegedly receiving the bribes.

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