ARTHUR Joseph Kurup, the son of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Joseph Kurup, retained his position as Pensiangan member of parliament.

This followed a unanimous decision by a five-man Federal Court bench today to uphold the election court’s decision to strike out the election petition brought by PKR’s Pensiangan candidate Raymond Ahuar.  

The bench led by Court of Appeal president Ahmad Maarop dismissed Raymond’s appeal after ruling that it did not have merit.

Presiding with him were Chief Judge of Malaya Zaharah Ibrahim and Federal Court judges Azahar Mohamed, Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, and Idrus Harun.

Justice Ahmad ordered Raymond to pay a total of RM40,000 in costs.

The Federal Court also dismissed Raymond’s appeal against the election court’s decision on September 20 last year to reject his application for an amendment of his election petition to include an allegation of illegal practice of election expenses.

In the 14th general election in May last year, Arthur, who is the deputy president of PBRS, won by a majority of 2,314 votes in a five-cornered contest. He garnered 11,783 votes to Raymond’s 9,469.

Arthur contested under the Barisan Nasional ticket.

In June, Raymond filed an election petition alleging that Arthur used money politics, but this was dismissed by the election court in Kota Kinabalu in November last year.

Raymond was represented by lawyer Alex Decena while counsel Lawrence Thien Shin Hing acted for Arthur. – Bernama, February 18, 2019.