THE Seremban election court today allowed Barisan Nasional candidate M. Ramasamy’s application to withdraw the election petition he filed over the results of the Segamat seat in the 2022 general election (GE).

Judge Rohani Ismail made the ruling after hearing the submission of Ramasamy’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who told the court the respondents agreed not to proceed with the petition.

The respondents named in the petition were Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran, the returning officer and the Election Commission (EC).

Rohani was satisfied after all parties – lawyer Lau Yi Leong representing Yuneswaran, senior federal counsel Nur Irmawatie Daud representing the returning officer, and Noridayu Md Kassim representing the EC – agreed with Shafee’s submission.

“Since all parties have agreed, the court hereby allows the election petition to be struck out, with no order as to costs,” she said.

In the GE held in November last year, Pakatan Harapan candidate Yuneswaran won the seat with a 5,669-vote majority, defeating MIC treasurer Ramasamy, P. Poobalan of Perikatan Nasional and Syed Hairoul Faizey of Pejuang.

In his petition, Ramasamy sought the nullification of the Segamat seat results and a declaration Yuneswaran was not elected MP.

Election court judge Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid rejected Ramasamy’s petition after receiving preliminary objections from the respondents (Yuneswaran, the returning officer and the EC) that his petition was defective as it did not fulfil requirements of the Election Offences Act 1954 and Election Regulations 1981.

Shafee, when met by reporters after today’s judgment, said the application was made as both parties were in the same federal pact now.

Ramasamy said there was no point fighting over the matter as both parties were part of the unity government.

“That’s why I withdrew the petition. I am prepared to cooperate with the unity government under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.

Lau said the court’s decision today meant Yuneswaran’s position as MP would not be affected. – Bernama, November 8, 2023.