KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 8): The Election Court in Melaka has issued arrest warrants for two subpoenaed witnesses, who failed to show up to testify in the Masjid Tanah election petition.
Election Court judge Datuk Abu Bakar Katar issued the arrest warrants on Friday for the Bersatu youth wing's permanent chairman Akmal Zahin Zainal Zahir and Noor Hashimah Noordin, an ex-private secretary to Masjid Tanah Member of Parliament Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.
Lawyer Amin Othman, acting for petitioner Abdul Hakim Abdul Wahid from Barisan Nasional (BN), confirmed the matter when contacted. He said that the Masjid Tanah election petition concerns allegations of bribery to voters during the 15th general election (GE15) in November last year.
Both witnesses are now required to turn up in the court next Monday.
On Feb 7, the Melaka High Court dismissed the election petition brought by Abdul Hakim, who was the BN candidate for the Masjid Tanah parliamentary constituency, after the court accepted the preliminary objection raised by the respondent.
However, on May 2 this year, the apex court ordered for the matter to be sent back to the High Court, so that its full merits can be heard. A three-member panel led by Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat said the pleading in the election petition was sufficient.
In GE15, Bersatu’s Mas Ermieyati won the seat with a majority of 4,411 votes, in a four-cornered fight against Abdul Hakim, Mutalib Uthman (Muda), and Handrawirawan Abu Bakar (Pejuang).