THE Federal Court today allowed a full trial for election petitions challenging the general election results of the Kimanis and Sipitang parliamentary seats.

The Kimanis parliamentary seat was won by former foreign minister Anifah Aman, while Sipitang was won by Hafez Yamani Musa, the son of former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman. 

Both men won the seats on the Umno-Barisan Nasional ticket in the 14th general election last year. 

The election petition was filed by Warisan candidates Karim Bujang (Kimanis) and Noor Hayaty Mustapha (Sipitang) and heard at the Federal Court in Putrajaya. 

A five-member bench led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak David Wong Dak Wah said the merit of the Kimanis election should be heard as the Warisan candidate complied with the Election Petition Rules 1954.

Another five-member bench chaired by Ahmad Maarop also allowed a trial for the Sipitang seat.

Yamani won the seat with an 852-vote majority after defeating Noor Hayaty and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah candidate Dayang Aezzy Liman.

The bench also allowed Noor Hayaty’s application for the trial be heard before a new judge, and fixed case management for February 25.

Both trials will be heard with a new judge at the Kota Kinabalu High Court. 

Meanwhile, Arthur Joseph Kurup, son of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Joseph Kurup, was allowed to keep his Pensiangan seat after the bench led by Maarop dismissed an appeal filed by PKR Pensiangan candidate Raymond Ahuar.

The election court last year rejected Ahuar’s application for amendment of his election petition to include an allegation of illegal practice of election expenses.

Arthur won the seat with a majority of 2,314 votes in a five-cornered contest. He garnered 11,783 votes against Raymond’s 9,469. – February 18, 2019.