The Malaysian Insight

THE trial to hear the challenge against the GE14 result for the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat will start late next month.

The petition to challenge the result was filed by Pakatan Harapan’s candidate Marzuki Yahya, who only lost by 81 votes to incumbent Shabudin Yahaya, who was previously with Barisan Nasional.

This morning, election court judge Hashim Hamzah fixed February 15 for next mention and the hearing to start from February 25 to March 1.

Trial will then resume from March 12 to March 15.

The dates were fixed in chambers in the presence of lawyers representing the petitioner and the defendants.

Shabudin’s lawyer Simon Tan said his side may be calling three or four people as witnesses.

“The other side may have more people to called up as witnesses, such as those from the Election Commission.”

Tan said the issue to be heard during trial was on amendments made to Form 14 – the document that confirms the total votes received by candidates at every polling station.

The original forms are now kept in the Penang High Court vault while the lawyers have been given copies to scrutinise.

“The case is not about alleged corruption or fraud. It is about some amendments made to the form.

“But the issue is not about the tampering of the forms. Just some amendments and whether they were fatal or not (towards the election result for the Tasek Gelugor seat),” Tan told reporters.

Meanwhile, Marzuki’s lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla said the issue with the Form 14 would be addressed through the statements of witnesses and other necessary documents during the nine-day trial.

“We expect to call not more than five witnesses. We may call more than 10. It will depend on the arrangements to be made by the lawyers.

“Marzuki will be also present in court to testify,” he said of his client, who has since been appointed senator and deputy foreign affairs minister. – January 14, 2019.