THE Federal Court has postponed to August 1 to hear Barisan Nasional candidate M. Ramasamy’s appeal to challenge the 2022 election results for the Segamat parliamentary seat, after his lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah fell sick.

A three-ember bench led by Justice Zabariah Mohd Yusof delayed the hearing, which had been fixed for today, following a request from co-counsel Sarah Maalini Abishegam, who told the court that Shafee was on medical leave due to migraine and vertigo.

Zabariah, who sat with Justices Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Mary Lim Thiam Suan, said the appeal would proceed on August 1.

Earlier Abishegam told the court Shafee had been advised to restrict his movements to avoid falling.

Senior federal counsel Suzana Atan appeared for the returning officer and the Election Commission, while lawyer Lau Yi Leong, who represented Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran, did not object to the deferral.

In November last year, Pakatan candidate Yuneswaran won the seat with 5,669 votes, defeating Ramasamy, Perikatan Nasional’s P. Poobalan and Pejuang’s Syed Hairoul Faizey.

Ramasamy, who is MIC treasurer, stood as a candidate for Barisan Nasional.

He subsequently filed a petition seeking a declaration that the parliamentary election for the Segamat constituency was void and a declaration that Yuneswaran.

He named Yuneswaran, the returning officer and the Election Commission as respondents.

On April 3,  Election Court judge Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid dismissed Ramasamy’s election petition after accepting the preliminary objections raised by the respondents.

The respondents said Ramasamy had failed to comply with rule 15(4) of the Election Petition Rules 1954  pertaining to the particulars of his affidavit of service and his failure. – Bernama, July 28, 2023.