Election petitions by PAS and BN struck out

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here has struck out four election petitions which were filed by PAS and Barisan Nasional to nullify the 13th general election results.

The petitions were for the Kuala Selangor, Sungai Besar, Sabak Bernam and Sepang parliamentary seats.

Appellate and Special Powers High Court judge Justice Zaleha Yusof ordered RM20,000 in costs to be paid by the petitioners to the MPs of the constituencies involved.

Justice Zaleha had also ordered RM30,000 in costs to be paid to the returning officers and to the Election Commission (EC) each in the Kuala Selangor, Sungai BesarandSabakBernam constituencies.

As for the Sepang constituency, she ordered the petitioner, Selangor Malay Contractor Association chairman Latif Wagiman to pay RM30,000 in costs to the returning officer and to the EC.

Justice Zaleha struck out the petitions on grounds that it was insufficient to show noncompliance with Section 32(b) and Section 41 of the Election Offences Act 1954.

She also said that it had failed to show that it affected the election results.

For the Kuala Selangor constituency, voter MuhammadRashid Kassim had named Barisan candidate Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim, the returning officer and the EC as respondents.

Voter Mat Ismail Nasir had named Barisan candidate Datuk Noriah Kasnon, the returning officer for the Sungai Besar constituency and the EC as respondents.

Meanwhile, PAS candidate for the Sabak Bernam constituency Dr Abdul Aziz Bari had named Barisan candidate Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh, Sabak Bernam returning officer and the EC as respondents.