EC, returning officer withdraw objection to Tasek Gelugor petition

This leaves MP Shabudin Yahaya as the sole party objecting to the election petition by PPBM's Marzuki Yahaya.

Senator Marzuki Yahaya has filed an election petition seeking a recount of 689 spoilt votes and 297 unreturned (postal) votes in the Tasek Gelugor constituency. (Facebook pic)

GEORGE TOWN: The returning officer and the Election Commission have withdrawn an earlier objection against an election petition filed by PPBM’s senator Marzuki Yahaya to recount the votes for the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary polls.

This leaves MP Shabudin Yahaya, from Barisan Nasional, as the sole party objecting against the petition.

In a hearing at the High Court here today, Shabudin’s lawyer Simon Tan argued that Marzuki’s petition was defective and “not precise” in accordance to election laws.

Tan said Marzuki’s petition had asked the returning officer to recount the votes when only the presiding officer could do recounts.

Marzuki’s counsel, Mohamad Rafique Rashid Ali, said the court should not look at the wording or technicalities of the petition, but the overall picture.

Rafique said what was more important was a total of 51,904 voters turned up for the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat and Marzuki lost by 81 votes.

“That 81 votes translate to 0.001% of those who came out. So, for the sake of public interest and justice, this petition ought to be heard,” he said.

Justice Hashim Hamzah fixed Sept 18 to decide on Shabudin’s preliminary objection. He also set Oct 3 to 5 and Oct 22 to 24 to hear other preliminary objections to the petition.

Marzuki, who is Penang PPBM chief, filed an election petition seeking a recount of 689 spoilt votes and 297 unreturned (postal) votes in the 14th general election.

He was appointed a senator and made deputy foreign affairs minister on July 17. -FMT