MOHD Radzi Md Jidin of Bersatu has retained his position as Putrajaya Member of Parliament, after an election court rejected a petition that was filed against him.

This was after High Court Judge Faizah Jamaludin allowed a preliminary objection made by Radzi to strike out the petition filed by Putrajaya Umno division vice chief Ahmad Faisal Abdul Karim.

The judge ruled that the petitioner (Ahmad Faisal) failed to prove corrupt practice was committed by either the respondent (Radzi) or his agent.

“The deficiency in facts and particulars of alleged bribery involving voters will make it impossible to prove his case beyond reasonable doubt if a trial is held. I find the petition has not complied with rule 4 (1) (b) of the election petition rules and therefore, defective,” the judge said via online proceedings today.

She further said that as an election judge she was constrained by the powers vested in her under the Election Offences Act.

“The petitioner’s failure to comply with the pleadings and procedures has resulted in a jurisdictional defect which deprived me of hearing the petition. Thus, this petition is struck out,” she said.

Hence, the court also ordered Faisal to pay RM20,000 in costs to Radzi.

Lawyers Hafarizam Harun, Norhazira Abu Hayan and Amin Othman represented Faisal while Radzi was represented by Yusfarizal Yussoff.

In the petition filed on January 26, Faisal was seeking a court order to declare that Radzi should not have been declared the winner of the Putrajaya seat in the general election on November 19 last year as his alleged bribes of RM150 per voter induced them to vote for him and not other candidates. 

The bribes were allegedly discovered through a WhatsApp group on November 21 and December 21 last year, as well as on January 4 this year.

Radzi won the Putrajaya seat by 16,002 votes, beating four-term incumbent Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor of Barisan Nasional, who obtained 13,692 votes. – Bernama, March 10, 2023.