Court orders fresh polls for Rantau

SEREMBAN: A by-election will be held for the Rantau state seat in Negri Sembilan after a Special Election Court nullified the result of Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who won the seat unopposed in the last general election.

Judge Datuk Azimah Omar handed down the judgment yesterday after having heard arguments from the lawyers of the petitioner Dr S. Streram and Mohamad, the first respondent, over 12 days.The court also heard the testimonies of 19 witnesses.

Azimah said no election rule states that an electoral candidate, proposer and seconder should have a tag or pass to submit the nomination form.

“This was acknowledged by the second and third respondents in their written submissions,” she said.

Dr Streram, who was denied entry to submit his nomination form due to the absence of the tag or pass, had named Mohamad, the former Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar as the first respondent; Rembau parliamentary constituency returning officer Amino Agus Suyub as the second respondent and the Election Commission (EC) as the third respondent.

Azimah said as such, the court allows the petition and rules that Mohamad was not duly elected as Rantau assemblyman and that his result is null and void.

“This court orders that a by-election be held immediately,” she said.Mohamad, who is Umno deputy president, won the seat unopposed after Dr Streram, who is an anaesthetist, was prohibited from entering the nomination centre on April 28 because he did not have a pass issued by the EC.

Dr Streram filed the petition on May 23, seeking a by-election for the seat because he claimed that Mohamad’s election is not valid.

In his petition, he also claimed EC failed to inform him when collecting the nomination form and making the deposit payment that he needed a name tag or pass to enter the nomination centre on nomination day.

Dr Streram was represented by four lawyers led by Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla while Mohamad was represented by five lawyers led by Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun.

The ruling means that Malaysia will see its fifth by-election post-GE14 and the fourth contest for a state seat. — Bernama