PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has fixed Feb 18 next year to hear the appeals against an Election Court’s decision in declaring the 14th general election results for the Rantau state seat as null and void and ordered for a by-election to be held immediately.
Lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing PKR candidate Dr S. Streram who filed the election petition, said the court would hear the appeals by the Election Commission (EC) and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on that day.
The matter came up for case management today before deputy registrar Syahrin Jeli Bohari.
Muhammad Rafique also told reporters that the appeal by returning officer Amino Agus Suyub against the three months’ jail which was meted out on him by the Election Court for contempt of court had been set for hearing on Jan 7 at the Court of Appeal.
Meanwhile, Mohamad’s lawyer, Abu Bakar Isa Ramat, said all parties were required to file records of appeal this Jan 24 and their respective submissions on or before Feb 4.
Last Nov 16, the Election Court in Seremban allowed Dr Streram’s election petition to nullify Mohamad’s unopposed victory in the Rantau state seat in the 14th General Election.
Judge Datuk Azimah Omar declared the results for the state seat null and void after ruling that Mohamad was not duly elected as Rantau assemblyman.
She held that there was no election rule stating that an electoral candidate, proposer and seconder should have a tag or pass to submit the nomination form.
Mohamad, the former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar, won the seat unopposed after Dr Streram, who is an anaesthetist, was prohibited from entering the nomination centre on April 28, this year because he did not have a pass issued by the EC.
Dr Streram subsequently filed the election petition last May 23 to nullify Mohamad’s victory and sought for a by-election for the seat.
In his petition, he claimed the 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 named Mohamad, Rembau Parliamentary constituency returning officer Amino Agus and the EC as respondents in his petition. — Bernama
