KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Terengganu member of parliament, whose victory in the 15th General Election (GE15) was recently annulled by the Terengganu Election Court, should be charged.
Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) chairman Thomas Fann said this was because it was proven that corruption had taken place during GE15.
"...Kuala Terengganu, you noticed that the candidate was found guilty of bribery (by the election court, hence the win was annulled).
"However, the candidate is not being charged for committing the election offence, which means that if he wants to run for the seat again, he can do so.
"Where is the justice then? I say he should be charged because it was proven (that he committed the offence of bribery)," he said after the VoteMalaysia Coalition Exclusive Documentary Screening and Panel Session today.
Fann was responding to a question on Pas's decision not to challenge the election court's decision to nullify its victory in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary election.
On June 27, the Terengganu Election Court annulled the victory of Kuala Terengganu member of parliament Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim, who represented Pas in GE15.
Judge Datuk Seri Mohd Firuz Jaffril said the petitioner, BN candidate Datuk Mohd Zubir Embong, proved that corruption had taken place, intending to influence voters in GE15.
He said although the petitioner was not presented as a witness, other evidence was sufficient to declare the election in Kuala Terengganu null and void according to Section 36 of the Election Offences Act.
The court also ordered the respondent to pay RM50,000 to the petitioner and allowed the respondent to file an appeal within 14 days.
On Jan 3, Terengganu Umno filed a petition at the Kuala Terengganu High Court to annul the GE15 result of the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat under the Election Offences Act 1954.
According to Terengganu Umno chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said, among the points raised in the petition were allegations that Pas had bribed voters by distributing financial aid from the state government through the i-Pencen, i-Belia and i-Siswa initiatives between Nov 15 and 17, 2022, which was just a few days before GE15.
Amzad won the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat in GE15 with a majority of 40,907 votes, defeating three other challengers, including Zubir.
Asked why Pas decided not to challenge the election court's decision, Fann said it could be due to the clear evidence against them or because the party was confident of winning the seat back in the by-election.
"Hence, they would not waste time appealing the decision."