MELAKA: The High Court here on Tuesday (Jan 17) fixed Jan 31 for a decision on the preliminary objection to the election petition filed by the Barisan Nasional candidate to annul the result of the Masjid Tanah parliamentary seat won by Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Judge Datuk Anselm Charles Fernandis set the date after hearing the submissions of lawyers Mohd Faizi Che Abu and Ahmad Nazrin Abu Bakar who represented Mas Ermieyati, and Datuk Khairul Abd Kadir and Wan Hamidah Wan Ismail acting on behalf of Barisan candidate for Masjid Tanah, Abdul Hakim Abdul Wahid.
On Jan 3, Abdul Hakim filed the petition, alleging bribery in the form of money and banquets was used to woo voters in GE15.
In the initial objection application for the petition to be rejected by the court, Mas Ermieyati, as a respondent, among others, claimed that the petition was filed out of time as prescribed under Section 38 of the Election Offences Act 1954.
She said the petitioner (Abdul Hakim) also erred because he did not name the returning officer and the Election Commission officer in the petition.
Mas Ermieyati (PN-Bersatu) won the seat with a majority of 4,411 votes in a four-cornered contest against Abdul Hakim, Mutalib Uthman (Muda) and Handrawirawan Abu Bakar (GTA-Pejuang). - Bernama
