Tit-for-tat polls petitions in Sabah

Lajim Ukin and Isnin Aliasnih filed petitions challenging the May 5 general elections results in Beaufort and Klias respectively.

KOTA KINABALU:  Former Umno warlord Lajim Ukin has challenged the validity of the results of the Beaufort constituency parliamentary polls which took place on May 5, as part of the 13th general elections.

He filed his election petition at the Kota Kinabalu High Court yesterday evening.

He cited several grounds including abuse of power, unqualified individuals casting their votes and alleged vote-buying. He also noted discrepancies in the polls process citing the easily washed-off indelible ink and the electricity blackout during the counting of ballots.

Lajim, 58, said his petition was substantiated by evidence including video clips.

In his petition, Lajim named returning officer Jupari@Jupri Etok, Umno-BN candidate Azzizah Mohd Dun and the Election Commission as first, second and third defendants respectively.

Lajim, who had won the Beaufort parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election under the Umno banner, failed to defend his incumbency in the May 5 polls.

He lost the seat in a three-cornered fight to Azizah. The third candidate was Guandee Koh Hoi from the local opposition Sabah State Reform Party (STAR).

Azizah wrested the Beaufort seat by a slim majority of 673 votes. She garnered 12,827 votes against Lajim’s 12,154. Guandee lost his deposit gathering 409 votes.

Lajim however managed to win the Klias state seat which is within the Beaufort parliament constituency.

In a tit-for-tat action yesterday, Lajim’s Umno rival in Klias, Isnin Aliasnih, also filed his petition to declare the Klias election results as null and void.

More petitions soon

Lajim won the Klias seat by a slim majority of 342 seats after obtaining 6,324 votes.

Isnin filed his petition at noon yesterday through his counsels Rizwandean Bukhari Borhan, Muanmmar Julkarnain and Safri Salleh Nain.

He named Lajim, the returning officer for Klias and the EC as first, second and third respondents respectively.

More petitions are likely to be filed in the coming days by Sabah Pakatan Rakyat.

The opposition coalition is expected to challenge the May 5 polls results in Kota Marudu and Pensiangan.

BN-PBS won the Kota Marudu seat through incumbent Dr Maximus Ongkili by a 842 vote majority while in Pensiagan the ruling coalition retained the seat through PBRS president Joseph Kurup by 1,744 votes.