Che Alias remains Kemaman MP as court dismisses Barisan election petition

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu Election Court here on Sunday (Feb 12) dismissed a petition filed by Barisan Nasional against Kemaman member of parliament Che Alias Hamid and retained the PAS representative's victory in last year’s 15th general election (GE15).

PAS Law and Human Rights bureau secretary Ahmad Lufti Awang, in a statement on Sunday, said Judge Datuk Mohamad Abazafree Mohd Abbas also ordered petitioner Wan Mohamad Hisham Wan Abdul Jalil to pay costs totalling RM30,000 to Che Alias.

He said in the online proceedings conducted via Zoom, Mohamad Abazafree had agreed with one of the four preliminary objection issues presented by the defence, related to facts contained in the petition to support the allegations of bribery and corruption in the election, as defective and invalid.

He said this was because the seven official programmes organised by the Terengganu government, namely Bantuan i-Belia, i-Siswa and donation programmes for the disabled and asnaf group, showed no details of bribery or kickbacks, including information on the alleged recipients or that they were also registered voters.

However, the court allowed Wan Mohamad Hisham to file an appeal to the Federal Court within 14 days.

Che Alias was represented by lawyers Saifuddin Othman, Wan Rohimi Wan Daud and Mohd Nasir Embong.

Lawyers Datuk Hafarizam Harun; Datuk Abu Bakar Isa Ramat; Amin Othman; Mohamed Baharudeen and Norhazira Abu Haiyan, meanwhile, acted for Wan Mohamad Hisham. - Bernama