Incumbent Rantau assemblyman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan today filed an appeal in the Federal Court against the Election Court nullification of his 14th general election victory in the Rantau state seat.
The Umno Deputy President said he is appealing to clear himself of any alleged misconduct during the nomination for the seat and in the interests of the Rantau voters as well as a last-ditch effort to safeguard his position as a state assemblyman.
On Nov 16, the Election Court allowed a petition filed by PKR’s Dr S Streram and ruled Mohamad’s election on May 9 null and void.
Mohamad won the seat unopposed after Streram was prohibited from entering the nomination centre on April 28 for not having a pass issued by the Election Commission (EC).
Following this, Streram filed a petition on May 23, seeking a by-election claiming that Mohamad’s election was not valid.
In his petition, he also claimed the EC had 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.
Streram had named Mohamad as the first respondent, Rembau parliamentary constituency returning officer Amino Agus Suyub as the second respondent and the EC as the third respondent.
The court also ruled that no election rule states that an electoral candidate, proposer and seconder should have a tag or pass to submit the nomination form.
Mohamad’s filing of his appeal today comes one day after the EC and Amino Agus Suyub, the returning officer for the Rembau parliamentary constituency, filed an appeal.
The former Negri Sembilan mentri besar said he will leave it to the wisdom of the judges of the Federal Court to consider the merits of his case and set the hearing date.