Lawyer, who is also Jalong candidate, fails to get client's trial postponed

IPOH: The High Court here has denied a request by Jalong candidate Datuk Naran Singh, who is a lawyer, to postpone the trial of his client so he can hit the campaign trail.

Naran said he had written to High Court judicial commissioner Su Tiang Joo seeking to postpone the drug-related case of a client on Thursday and Friday (Nov 10 and 11) but it was rejected.

"On Oct 31, I applied for all my cases between Nov 8 and 18 to be postponed so I could prepare for the election campaign. My application was rejected and I made an appeal on Nov 3 but it was denied as well," he said on Tuesday (Nov 8).

"On Monday (Nov 7), I wrote to Ipoh High Court senior judge Justice Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed and also met him (Tuesday) over the matter," said Naran.

I was then informed that Su will only allow the postponement if he receives an instruction from Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat," he added

Naran said he is now appealing to Tengku Maimun to intervene so that he can participate in the campaign.

"I was chosen to contest the Jalong state seat (so) I had no choice but to request for the postponement," he added.

Naran Singh, who will contest under Perikatan Nasional, will face the incumbent assemblyman Loh Sze Yee of Pakatan Harapan, as well as Barisan Nasional's Pan Chean Chang and Independent candidate R. Indrani.