Penang Bersatu chief Marzuki Yahya today also filed a petition to challenge the 14th general election result on May 9 that saw him defeated by a mere 81 votes. 

He had contested the Tasek Gelugor parliamentary seat but victory was handed over to its incumbent Shabudin Yahaya of Barisan Nasional. 

“My lawyer Azlina Mehtab submitted the petition this morning at the Butterworth court. 

“The Election Commission and Shabudin are named respondents,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

Like DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong, who also filed a petition today in Johor, Marzuki was also denied a recount when he asked for it on the night of polling day. 

Marzuki, who is also Bersatu supreme council member, had found the tallied votes suspicious, as there were many spoilt and unreturned ballots. 

“There were 297 unreturned, and 689 spoilt. The majority was only 81. 

“I asked for a recount but the EC refused. I felt my right as a candidate was denied. The EC was unfair to PH candidates during the election,” he said. 

Liew, who lost his bid to win over the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat from MCA deputy president Dr Wee Ka Siong, was defeated by 303 votes. 

It was reported that Liew’s election agent also asked for a recount but was denied. 

Liew’s lawyer Yeoh Yang Poh said the DAP leader’s petition would also look into other alleged breaches of election laws during the campaign period. – June 12, 2018.