ANIFAH Aman has filed an appeal against the Election Court ruling that nullified his Kimanis federal seat victory in last year’s general election.

The former foreign minister’s lead counsel Ansari Abdullah said the filing had been done through the online court e-filing system earlier today. 

Ansari said his client was forced to appeal the decision as the Election Commission (EC) had chosen not to challenge the ruling.

“Since the EC chairman had confirmed they are not appealing, our client had no choice but to instruct us to appeal,” he told The Malaysian Insight today. 

On August 16, the election court cleared Anifah against bribery and graft allegations brought against him in the election court. 

However, the court declared the poll results as null and void after the court found 384 additional ballot papers improperly cast in Kg Brunei and 54 ballots in SJK Cheng Meng. 

Parti Warisan Sabah candidate for the Kimanis seat, Karim Bujang, filed the election petition over a year ago, naming Anifah and the EC as defendants.

Another of Anifah’s counsel, Tengku Fuad Ahmad, said the EC has let voters down by not appealing as the court had found them at fault. 

“It is extraordinary that the EC is not standing by its own officers. The EC should appeal because based on the Election Court’s findings, the returning officer and other election officers are now exposed to potential criminal liability under the Election Offences Act.

“In that regard, the EC has let down its own people,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

Anifah won only by 156 votes, receiving a total of 11,942 votes against strong rival Karim, who garnered 11,786 votes during GE14. – August 27, 2019.