KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has yet to decide whether to appeal against the Special Election Court ruling, which declared his unapposed victory in the Rantau state seat on May 9 as null and void.
The Umno deputy president said he was still mulling his next move in regards to the case, which had culminated with the court decision last Friday.
“I will give it due consideration before I decide to appeal or not, InsyaAllah,” he told the New Straits Times in a text message.
He was asked if he would be appealing against the Special Election Court rulling, which ruled in favour of a petition filed by the PKR candidate for Rantau, Dr S. Streram.
The petition filed on May 23 was to challenge the Election Commission's (EC) declaration of Mohamad's unopposed victory for the state seat in the 14th General Election.
Dr Streram, 63, named Mohamad as the first respondent in his petition, followed by EC returning officer Amino Agus as the second respondent and EC as the third respondent.
Dr Streram was denied entry into the nomination hall on April 28 to file his papers as a candidate for the state seat. He had been told that it was because he did not have an EC pass.
Special Election Court judge Datuk Azimah Omar, who oversaw the hearing involving 19 witnesses for 12 days, had ruled that there were no election regulation which required an electoral candidate, proposer and seconder to have a nametag to enter the nomination hall to submit the nomination form.
Mohamad, who has been elected to the Rantau state seat for the past three consecutive terms, has another 10 days to submit an appeal.
Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia's political analyst Associate Professor Dr P. Sivamurugan said Mohamad, or Tok Mat as he is more commonly known, should appeal as it is within his rights.
“Some don’t appeal because they know the outcome could be the same as to continue fighting in court takes a longer time. They might want to settle this by way of a by-election.
“In Tok Mat’s case, he will be fighting for political legitimacy as a former menteri besar and as the current Umno deputy president.”
Sivamurugan said that by-elections usually favoured incumbents, but the demography which include 48 per cent non-Malay voters in Rantau could pose a challenge for Mohamad.
He said a candidate’s chances will also depend on the voters’ sentiments and voter turnout.
Since Friday’s court ruling, Umno has confirmed that it would continue to field Mohamad as its candidate in Rantau. Pakatan Harapan, on the other hand said that it will decide on the candidate when its presidential council convenes.