Court strikes out four election petitions in Johor

The Election Court today struck out petitions to nullify the outcome of the 13th general election for two parliamentary and two state seats in Johor, thus maintaining the victory of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the four constituencies.

Judge Datuk Hasnah Mohammed Hashim dismissed the petitions brought by PKR for the Ledang and Pasir Gudang parliamentary seats and by PAS for the Nusajaya and Gambir state seats.

She struck out the petitions with costs on the grounds that all the petitioners had failed to adhere to regulations under the Election Offences Act 1954, including not having sufficient facts or details to support the petitions.

Hasnah ordered each of the petitioners for the parliamentary seats to pay costs amounting to RM30,000 to Ledang MP Datuk Hamim Samuri and Pasir Gudang MP Normala Abd Samad as well as the returning officers and the Election Commission (EC).

For the state seats, she ordered each of the petitioners to pay costs amounting to RM25,000 to Nusajaya assemblyman Dr Zaini Abu Bakar and Gambir assemblyman M. Asojan as well as the returning officers and the EC.

The petitioners were represented by counsel Muhammad Yazid Mohamad Salim and Rohana Ramli while counsel Syed Faizal Syed Abdullah and Mohd Reza Abu Hassan appeared for the respondents.

Senior Federal Counsel S. Narkunavathy represented the returning officers and the EC.