Independent Riduan remains Tenom MP

 

Riduan Rubin Balang was named as a respondent in Peter Anthony’s petition to nullify the election results.

PETALING JAYA: Riduan Rubin Balang, whose victory in the Nov 19 general election was challenged in court, remains the Tenom MP.

The election court in Kota Kinabalu today struck out Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president Peter Anthony’s petition to nullify the result for the seat.

Justice Dean Wayne Daly allowed a preliminary objection by returning officer Mas Syazwan Masood, Election Commission chairman Ghani Salleh and the Election Commission (EC), who were named as respondents.

Riduan was also named as a respondent by Peter.

The judge said Peter’s petition did not comply with Rule 4(1)(b) of the Election Petition Rules, read with Section 32(b) of the Election Offences Act.

Daly said Peter was a convicted person at the time he filed his nomination papers and that he had been found guilty of forgery by the sessions court in Kuala Lumpur on May 26 last year.

“A stay order obtained from the court did not erase his conviction,” the judge said.

Peter was ordered to pay RM20,000 in costs to Syazwan, Ghani and the EC and another RM20,000 to Riduan.

Riduan won the seat in a five-cornered fight with a 1,108 vote majority.

Senior federal counsel Donald Joseph Franklin and Asliza Ali appeared for Syazwan, Ghani and the EC while Tengku Fuad Ahmad represented Riduan.

Ansari Abdullah represented Peter, who is also the Melalap assemblyman.

On Nov 5, police had to intervene with tear gas to disperse an angry crowd of supporters who turned aggressive after finding out that Peter’s papers had been rejected by the returning officer.

The sessions court had sentenced Peter, 52, to three years’ jail and imposed a RM50,000 fine. The High Court heard his appeal today and fixed April 18 for a decision.

Peter, when met outside the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, said he had instructed his counsel to appeal the election court’s decision. - FMT