Klias election petition goes to full trial

BN's election petition to challengethe results in Klias will go through a full trial, the Election Court in Kota Kinabalu ruled today. 

This is fourth election petition that has gone to a full trial after Jelawat, Bachok and Gaal. Dozens of others have been struck out in the early stages.

If BN eventually wins the trial, it will pave way for a by-election.

Election Court judge Yew Jen Kie allowed the petition based on allegations of vote buying in the constituency and also allegations of election posters that did not have the publisher's details.

Applicant Isnin Aliasnih, the BN candidate for the Klias state seat, filed the petition to seek the nullification of the Klias election results.

PKR's Lajim Ukin won with a wafer thin 342 vote majority during the May 5 general election.

However, the judge dismissed the seat's Returning Officer (RO) and the Election Commission (EC) as respondents for Isnin's petition, and ordered Isnin for pay RM10,000 each in costs to each entity.

Lajim's counsel Chau Chin Tang told Malaysiakini both the allegations of vote buying and anonymous posters needs to be proved in the full trial in order for a by-election to happen.

"The trial is expected to start sometime in September," he said, adding that the petition was allowed on "very technical grounds."