THE Cameron Highlands by-election has been set for Saturday, January 26, the Election Commission announced today.

EC chairman Azhar Harun said nomination day is January 12 while advance voting is on January 22.

“The campaign period will be 14 days, starting from the nomination day till 11.59pm before polling day,” Azhar told a press conference.

The Cameron Highlands by-election was called for after the Election Court last month revoked C. Sivarraajh’s victory in the May 9 general election after it found that he had bought votes.

The Cameron Highlands seat was declared vacant on November 29 after a court found Sivarraajh of Barisan Nasional guilty of bribing Orang Asli voters in the run-up to GE14.

Justice Azizah Nawawi said a “pattern of giving money to voters during the period before the election” and corrupted practices had been proven.

She said money was given to voters either directly by Sivarraajh or indirectly through Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail (the Pahang menteri besar) or (Orang Asli villager) Achom Luji and that the money was given to voters as a form of inducement.

The acts allegedly took place during meetings on April 28, May 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 this year, as claimed by the petitioner, M. Manogaran, the DAP candidate for Cameron Highlands.

In his petition filed on June 4, Manogaran named Sivarraajh, who is also MIC vice-president, as the sole respondent.

Last week, MIC president S. Vigneswaran said the party will not appeal against the court decision.

The party felt it will be better to seek a decision in the court of public opinion, he said.

MIC will field Sivarraajh again. DAP is expected to name Manogaran again.

In GE14, Sivarraajh won by garnering 10,307 votes, defeating four other candidates.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has confirmed that it is investigating Sivarraajh for alleged graft. – December 19, 2018.