The Election Court in Seremban has fixed Sept 12 to decide on BN Jempol MP Mohd Salim Mohd Sharif's preliminary objection to an election petition challenging the outcome of the parliamentary seat in the 14th general election. 

The election petition was filed by Jempol Pakatan Harapan candidate Kamarulzaman Kamdias on June 12, with Salim, returning officer Zazali Salehudin and the Election Commission named as respondents.

Judge Azimah Omar fixed the date today after hearing the submissions on the preliminary objection today, reported Bernama.

Among the grounds of the objection was that Kamarulzaman failed to serve notice of the petition directly to Salim.

“They served it to a woman by the name of Nor Kamalia Jamaludin whose post is unknown, and we say it is a defective service.

“According to the law, the petition must be served directly to the respondents involved, but they did not do so,” Salim's lawyer Syed Faisal Syed Abdullah said outside court.

The lawyer also noted that the petition only contained complaints, and did not state which provision in the Election Offences Act 1954 was allegedly violated by the respondents.

However, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Kamarulzaman, said that the details of the violations would be submitted during trial.

“We don’t need to include all evidence in the petition. Our claim is solid enough to go to trial,” he was quoted as saying.

In GE14, Salim polled a total of 26,819 votes, beating out Kamarulzaman by 1,631 votes.

- Bernama