UMNO’S ACTING CHIEF LOSES HIS SEAT – ZAHID TO MAKE COMEBACK WHILE MAT HASAN FOCUSES ON KEEPING RANTAU?: ANOTHER BY-ELECTION MAY FOLLOW AS COURT ORDERS RETRIAL FOR JASIN

A BY-ELECTION will be called for the Rantau state seat in Negri Sembilan, after the Federal Court upheld the election court’s decision against acting Umno president Mohamad Hasan.

The apex court ruled that it was wrong for the Election Commission to have barred PKR candidate Dr S. Streram from contesting in last year’s general election for not having a pass.

Incumbent and Umno acting president Mohamad saw his appeal against a lower court ruling in November dismissed.

In a ruling today, chief justice Richard Malanjum said Dr Streram had locus standi in his petition, and agreed with the election court in Seremban, which found no written law or requirement compelled him, his seconder, or proposers to have passes to enter the nomination centre.

The EC and Mohamad were ordered to each pay RM10,000 in costs.

Streram, 63, said he was never informed by the EC or its agents that entry passes were required to enter the Dewan Sri Rembau nomination centre.

Mohamad won the seat uncontested. Streram, who works as an anaesthetist, filed his petition on May 23 to nullify the EC’s decision to declare Mohamad the winner.

With today’s ruling, Barisan Nasional now has 15 state seats in Negri Sembilan, while Pakatan Harapan controls 20 state seats. PKR has six seats, DAP has 11, and Amanah has three. With exception to one seat controlled by MIC, Umno has the remaining 14 seats.

Last November, election judge Azimah Omar ruled that Mohamad, who was formerly Negri Sembilan MB, was not duly elected and that there would have been a contest had Streram been allowed to file his nominations.

She said there was evidence that Streram, his proposer, and seconder were denied entry to the nomination centre.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said last November that Mohamad, 62, will be contesting again in Rantau.

APEX COURT ORDERS RETRIAL ON JASIN ELECTION PETITION

THE Federal Court has ordered a retrial of an election petition by Pakatan Harapan candidate Khairuddin Abu Hassan, who is contesting the outcome of the Jasin parliament seat in Malacca won by Umno.

A five-judge bench led by Chief Justice Richard Malanjum, unanimously agreed that Khairuddin, who filed an appeal over the decision, had grounds in his plea.

The court also overruled a ruling by the Kuala Lumpur election court that it had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Khairuddin Abu Hassan is seeking a declaration that the result for the Jasin parliamentary seat was null and void, claiming that the BN politician was unlawfully elected and that a fresh election should be held. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, February 18, 2019.

Last October, Judge Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali said Khairuddin’s petition should have been filed at an election court in Malacca and ruled that Ahmad Hamzah of Barisan Nasional retain his seat.

Malanjum agreed to a request by Khairuddin’s counsel, Gopal Sri Ram, for retrial to be heard before another judge. Costs of RM20,000 were awarded to Khairuddin.

Also sitting on the panel were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak David Wong Dak Wah, Federal Court judges Alizatul Khair Othman Said, Rohana Yusof and Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.

In the May 9 polls, Khairuddin, the former Batu Kawan Umno vice chief, lost to Ahmad by 219 votes.

Khairuddin filed the petition on June 14, under Section 34 (C) of the Elections Offences Act 1954 to seek a declaration that the result of the GE14 for Jasin parliamentary seat was null and void, claiming that the BN politician was unlawfully elected and that a fresh election should be held.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com