PENANG: Election petitions were filed at High Courts throughout the country yesterday by the Barisan Nasional, opposition parties and even an independent candidate disputing the results declared in numerous parliamentary and state seats.
The Barisan Nasional candidate for the Permatang Pauh seat Datuk Pirdaus Ismail is challenging the victory of his opponent Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail while Datuk Md Isa Ramli, also from the Barisan, is questioning the election of PAS candidate Mohd Hamdan Abdul Rahman in the Permatang Pasir state seat.
Each petitioner had named as respondents their respective opponents, the returning officer and the Election Commission (EC). Pirdaus alleged that five ballot boxes were unsealed and rubbish was found in two ballot boxes.
In Kuala Lumpur, the Barisan Bukit Bintang division secretary Gan Joon Zin is seeking a declaration that the Bukit Bintang election was invalid.
He named DAP MP Fong Kui Lun, the returning officer and the EC as respondents.
Gan alleged that Fong had campaigned before nomination day and that the returning officer had counted votes from a wooden box which had no EC security seal.
In Ipoh, Barisan Nasional candidate for the Pantai Remis state seat, Wong Chong Sang, sought a declaration to nullify the contest and that he be returned unopposed.
Wong named Pantai Remis assemblyman Nga Kor Meng, the returning officer and EC as respondents.
He claimed that Nga altered his nomination paper after the nomination period ended.
Perak PAS filed two petitions to nullify Barisan’s victory in Kuala Kangsar and Rungkup.
In the first petition, PAS member Ahmad Jamaluddin Abd Majid named International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, the returning officer and EC as respondents.
He alleged that ballot papers supplied at four polling centres had been tampered with and that 41 ballot papers had the same serial numbers.
He also claimed that the names of two voters were actually those of children aged five and four.
In the second petition, PAS member Ahmad Fauzi Husain named state assemblyman for Rungkup Sha’arani Mohamad, the returning officer and EC as respondents.
Ahmad Fauzi claimed that two non-Malaysians had cast votes in Rungkup.
In Shah Alam, Bernama reports that PAS is seeking to nullify results for the parliamentary seats of Tanjung Karang and Gombak, and state seats of Sungai Burong, Gombak Setia and Bangi.
Among the allegations cited were the illegal extension of the polling period in Selangor and the use of two electoral rolls.
In Kota Kinabalu, independent candidate Johani Abdul Halim, who lost in Lahad Datu, has named Barisan’s Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur as the sole respondent.
He accused Datu Nasrun of giving money to induce people to vote for him.
In Kangar, Perlis Barisan secretary Datuk Bahari Taib named PAS’ Hashim Jasin, the returning officer in Sanglang and EC as respondents.
