The Election Court in Penang has set aside nine days to hear the petition filed by Tasek Gelugor candidate Marzuki Yahya challenging the 2018 general election results of the parliamentary seat.
Marzuki's lawyer Mohd Haniff Katri Abdulla said Justice Hashim Hamzah has fixed Feb 25 to March 1, and from March 12 to 15, for the trial in Penang.
Hashim made the announcement in chambers this morning, Haniff said
He added that Feb 15 had been fixed for case management where both sides would submit relevant documents to the court.
"The trial will go on. Both sides have agreed to have the trial from Feb 25 to March 1, and from March 12 to 13, nine days in all.
"We have five witnesses who will share their testimonies in court," Haniff told reporters outside the courtroom.
Accompanying him were lawyers Azalina Mehtab and Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali.
On Jan 2, the High Court in Penang unsealed the election document, Form 14, for the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat, which was previously won by Umno's Shabudin Yahya (photo).
This follows Hashim's order on Dec 21 for the form to be unsealed in the presence of the High Court senior assistant registrar and lawyers.
Marzuki, a senator now, had challenged the Tasek Gelugor election results, which was won by Umno's Shabudin Yahya, by a mere 81 votes.
In his election petition, Marzuki claimed that the number of votes indicated on Form 14 for Tasek Gelugor during the 14th general election was different from what was displayed on-screen at the tallying centre on May 9.
The document will now be compared with the version Marzuki's lawyers had previously received.
The Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat comprises three state constituencies, namely Permatang Berangan, Sungai Dua and Telok Ayer Tawar.
The Federal Court had ordered a full trial last November for the Tasek Gelugor election petition after allowing Marzuki's appeal.
Marzuki, the Bersatu secretary-general, has been appointed deputy foreign affairs minister, while Shabudin has since quit Umno to become an independent.
Shabuddin is represented by lawyer Simon Tan.
Meanwhile, Haniff said Marzuki may be present in court on one of the nine days to give his testimony.
"The issue about Form 14 will only be divulged during the trial. Please be patient as court procedure needs to be adhered to," he said.
Tan said the trial is to determine whether the amendments on Form 14 were valid.
"If the amendments were done before the form was signed, it is not an issue, but he (Marzuki) has to prove it was done after that," said Tan.
"The case is not about corruption or cheating, but about amendments in the form.
"The case may conclude fast as there are only a few witnesses on our side," Tan added. - Mkini
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