KOTA BARU: Perikatan Nasional may file an election petition against Barisan Nasional's victory in the Nenggiri by-election on Aug 17.
Kelantan Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) chief Datuk Kamarudin Md Nor said PN was in the midst of gathering evidence before filing the election petition.
He said the evidence that needed to be compiled involved allegations of bribery and threats on voters during the two-week campaign.
"PN's lawyers are gathering all the evidence and if they find enough, we will proceed to file the election petition," he said today (Thursday).
On Aug 18, Muafakat Nasional chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa alleged that 2,000 people did not turn up to vote after hearing rumours that others had received money.
He claimed that this had affected PN's performance in the by-election.
Annuar, who is also a Pas member, said he observed that the higher voter turnout on Aug 17 by-election had worked in BN's favour, potentially intensifying the competition.
BN candidate Mohd Azmawi Fikri Abdul Ghani was officially named as the new Nenggiri assemblyman after winning the by-election last Saturday.
The 38-year-old father of three defeated PN candidate Rizwadi Ismail after obtaining 9,091 votes compared with Rizwadi who received 5,739 votes.
Azmawi led with a majority of 3,352 votes, more than three times the majority garnered in state elections in August last year.
BN had won the Nenggiri seat for four consecutive elections since the constituency was created in 2004, but PN breached the Umno stronghold during last year's state polls.