KOTA KINABALU, Aug 14- The Election Court here Tuesday fixed 10 days beginning Aug 19 to hear a petition against the results of the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat in the 13th General Election (GE13) held on May 5.
The petition, filed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Datuk Maijol Mahap, contended that Form 14, which recorded the number of votes obtained by each candidate and the number of spoilt votes, was not given to PKR polling agents when they demanded it from the returning officer (RO).
In his petition, Mahap had named Returning Officer Lovita Koisun and the Election Commission (EC) as second and third respondents.
The first respondent, however, Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, the victor of the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat, was dismissed as a respondent to allegations of bribery and corrupt practices that had been levelled against him by the peititioner.
Judge Datuk Yew Jen Kee also ordered the petitioner to pay costs of RM5,000 to Ongkili.
Yew held that the petitioner did not plead enough facts on the allegations.
In GE13, Ongkili, the Barisan Nasional’s candidate, won by a majority of 842 votes after garnering 15,168 votes in a four-way fight.
Mahap garnered 14,326 votes while of Ongkili other opponents, Majamis Timbong of Star secured 2,228 votes and Yuntau alias Kuntau Kolod of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) only managed 444 votes.
– BERNAMA
