NEGRI SEMBILAN TO END UP WITHOUT AN MB, WHILE TIAN GETS ANOTHER SHOT? RANTAU & BATU BY-ELECTIONS MAY BE ON THE CARDS – REPORT: KARMA BITES MOHAMAD HASSAN & KHAIRY HARD AMID TALK RANTAU RETURNING OFFICER MAY BE AN UMNO CRONY

Tian Chua, whose nomination to contest in GE14 was rejected by the Election Commission has got a, for want of a better description, unlikely supporter – the commission’s former deputy chairman Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

As Wan Ahmad sees it, the PKR vice president ought to have been allowed to contest based on the court decision which saw Tian Chua contesting GE 13 on May 5, 2013 when he succeeded in defending the federal territory parliamentary seat of Batu.

Wan Ahmad was commenting on Tian Chua’s disqualification on “live” television  talk show by Bernama News Channel – Ruang Bicara – hosted by Datuk Dahlan Maamor.

The show was aired on April 28 i.e. nomination day for GE 14 and Dahlan posted on Facebook part of his conversation with Wan Ahmad.

According to Dahlan, the former EC deputy chairman said the returning officer’s interpretation of the RM2000 fine imposed on Tian Chua has resulted in the PKR leader’s disqualification as a GE 14 candidate. (Tian Chua was originally fined RM3000 by the Shah Alam Sessions Court for insulting a policeman. He filed an appeal and the Shah Alam High Court reduced the fine to RM2000) and therefore this is something the court would have to decide. In the event Tian Chua files an election petition that is. Which he will, if he has not done so already.

And in the event the court decides in his favour, the result of the Batu contest in GE 14 will be null and void. Hence a by-election will have to be held. That’s how Wan Ahmad views it.

Several lawyers are already expressing the opinion that  Tian Chua has got solid grounds to take his predicament to court.

But needless to say and also based on what Wan Ahmad had said, Tian Chua’s day in court will only come after GE 14, what with the election just days away. Still one can never tell.

Wan Ahmad was also asked to comment on the Negeri Sembilan state seat of Rantau.

As we know, Dr. Streram Sinnasamy from PKR was refused entry into  the nomination centre as he was without an EC-issued pass. So too were his proposer and seconder.

The confusion , ensuing commotion and subsequent delay resulted in his nomination papers not accepted by the returning officer who went on to declare Negeri Sembilan caretaker menter ibesar Datuk Mohamad Hassan the winner unopposed – being the sole  candidate for the Rantau contest.

It’s rather strange (at least to me) that no other candidates wanted to contest Rembau – be they independents or from Pas. I say strange because for GE 14, multi -cornered fights seem to the norm and straight fights rare.  If they do happen at all.

Anyway back to Streram. According to Dahlan from what Wan Ahmad told him during the Ruang Bicara interview,  “ an EC pass to gain entry into the EC premises is not a prerequisite or condition for a nomination to be accepted”.

The pass is for security purposes and has got nothing to do with requirements  for nomination.

In all probability this case will go to court too ( if a petition is filed ) and should the court decide in Streram’s favour the Rembau seat too will have to be declared  void.

Hence a poser by Dahlan: what will be Mohamad Hassan’s status, assuming  that the BN succeeded in forming the Negeri Sembilan state government and he is the menteri besar?

If I may add – Negeri Sembilan will be “menteri besar-less” ( if there’s such a word?) . At least until the by election is concluded

http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/batu-and-rantau-byelections-cards

KHAIRY TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST RAFIZI

SEREMBAN – Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth chairman Khairy Jamaluddin is planning to take legal action against PKR vice-president Mohd Rafizi Ramli, over the latter’s alleged remark that the former had conspired and was responsible for the Election Commission’s (EC) decision in preventing PKR candidate Dr S. Streram from entering the nomination centre at the Seri Rembau Hall yesterday.

Khairy said Rafizi had made many unpleasant remarks about him before and had gotten away with it, but he would not let the former Pandan MP off the hook this time around as this involved the integrity of the 14th General Election (GE14).

Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief and BN candidate for the Rembau parliamentary seat in the GE14, said the action by Rafizi in making baseless accusation and spreading false news via his Facebook and Twitter accounts was an offence under the the Anti-Fake News Act 2018.

“I will take action against Rafizi … This is a serious matter (as) I am an election candidate. This is about the credibility of election in Rembau and I’m going to drag him to court.

“I want him to be brought to justice because he has many defamation cases, and the latest being the (Dr Streram’s) case in Rantau … Let the court decide,” he told reporters at the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Chung Hua’s Sports Day, here today.

Khairy said his lawyer would file a letter of demand for Rafizi to withdraw his statements.

“If Rafizi does not retract the defamatory remarks he made against me, then I will file a defamation suit against him,” he added.

Khairy said Rafizi had also allegedly raised racial sentiment among the Indian voters in the state and the Rembau parliamentary seat by saying that a candidate from the minority was rejected to contest in the GE14, and inciting the voters to rise as a “revenge” to BN.

“This is an extremely irresponsible act … playing with racial sentiment. PKR is said to be a multiracial party but yesterday, Rafizi proved that he had been a politician who is willing to bank on racial sentiment.

“As such, I hope that the Indians will not easily fall for this racial game from PKR and continue to support me and other BN candidates in the state and Rembau parliamentary constituency for my service to the constituents,” he added.

Yesterday, Umno Youth lodged a police report against Rafizi over his defamatory remark on social media regarding Ngeri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s uncontested victory in Rantau.

Mohamad won the Rantau state seat after Dr Streram was not allowed to enter the nomination centre to file his papers, as he forgot to bring his candidate’s pass as required by the EC. — Bernama

Unable to enter nomination centre, EC awaits police probe

KUALA LUMPUR: The Election Commission (EC) will not be issuing any statements on allegations that a candidate was not allowed to enter a nomination centre, until a full report is obtained and a police investigation is carried out.

According to EC chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah, it is understood that certain quarters had lodged a police report on the case, and therefore it was inappropriate for him to make any statement now.

“The EC has taken note of the protests by the parties involved who were not allowed into the nomination centre to submit nomination papers on nomination day for the Rantau state and Rembau parliamentary constituencies in Ngeri Sembilan.

“It is up to the parties to use the authorised legal channels in the case,” he said in a statement today.

In view of this, the EC urged the public not to speculate as the case was still being investigated by police.

Yesterday, PKR candidate Dr S. Streram was unable to file his nomination papers for the Rantau seat after failing to bring along his candidate’s pass as required by the EC to enable him to enter the nomination centre.

As a result, Ngeri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, the Barisan Nasional incumbent, was declared the winner for the Rantau state seat because of a lack of challengers. — Bernama