KOTA BAHARU: The Election Court here yesterday dismissed with costs a petition brought by Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Wan Zawawi Wan Ismail to nullify the victory of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub for the Machang parliamentary constituency in the 13th General Election.
Judge Datuk Zamani Abdul Rahim ruled that Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub from the BN was the rightful winner in the Machang parliamentary constituency during the 13th General Election, according to Section 36 (1) (a) of the Election Petition Rules 1954.
He ordered Wan Zawawi to pay costs of RM10,000 to Ahmad Jazlan and RM30,000 to the Election Commission and returning officer, the other two respondents named in the petition.
In the 13th General Election, Ahmad Jazlan, the Machang Umno Division chief, beat PKR’s Wan Zawawi Wan Ismail by 805 votes.
The petitioner, through his counsel Hisham Fauzi, also told the court that he had decided to not continue with the full trial scheduled today.
Ahmad Jazlan was represented by Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, while Senior Federal Counsel Azizan Md Arshad represented the other two respondents .
On July 16 last year, the same court had dismissed the petition, but Wan Zawawi appealed to the Federal Court against the decision and won.
The Federal Court ruled that the Election Judge should not have struck out the petition on the basis of locus standi of advocate representing the petitioner under Rule 9 and Rule 34 of the Election Petition Rules 1954. — Bernama