Court passes appeal to drop two respondents from Ku Li’s GE15 petition

KOTA BARU – The election court here yesterday allowed an applicant to drop two respondents from an election petition he had filed. 

Mohd Azmi Mahmood, on January 3, had filed the election petition at the high court here on behalf of Barisan Nasional candidate Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, to challenge the result of the 15th general election (GE15) for the constituency.

He named Gua Musang MP Datuk Mohd Azizi Abu Naim of Perikatan Nasional, returning officer Ab Fatah Hasbullah and the Election Commission (EC) as the first to third respondents.

High court judge Datuk Roslan Abu Bakar who sat as the election judge made the decision after hearing the arguments of lawyer Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan representing Azizi,  federal counsel Ahmad Hanir Hambaly representing Ab Fatah and the Election Commission (EC), and Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun representing Azmi.

Hafarizam said his client has decided not to continue the petition against the second and third respondents and has offered RM5,000 in costs.

Hanir urged that the costs be raised to RM10,000 which he felt was reasonable.

Hanir in his argument said in the petition filed, the petitioner claimed that there had been a violation as a voting channel, SMK Felda Chiku, has never existed.

Meanwhile, Roslan said the application to withdraw the petition against the second and third respondents was clearly because both respondents had nothing to do with the petition against the first respondent.

The election petition against the second and third respondents was dismissed at a cost of RM6,000.

Roslan then set February 26 for decision on the preliminary objection to the petition.

Meanwhile, Takiyuddin said he was surprised that the petitioner had withdrawn the petition against the second and third respondents as this rarely happens. – Bernama, February 9, 2023