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19 March 2023. Sunday
KUALA TERENGGANU (March 19): PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang appeared in the Kuala Terengganu High Court on Sunday (March 19) as a witness in the election petition trial for the Marang parliamentary constituency.
The Marang MP, who arrived at 9am as the third witness on behalf of the respondent, gave his statement for over an hour before High Court judge Datuk Hassan Abdul Ghani, who sat as the election judge.
When met in the compounds of the Kuala Terengganu Court Complex, Abdul Hadi expressed his gratitude that Sunday’s trial went smoothly and that he was able to answer all the questions posed by lawyers from both sides.
“I answered all the lawyers’ questions. Insya-Allah, because there was no violation of election laws but more of a battle of nerves,” he said.
Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, representing Abdul Hadi, said the respondent has called all the witnesses on their behalf with Abdul Hadi being the last.
“But the petitioner is still not finished with calling their witnesses,” he said.
Also present as a witness was State Human Development, Dakwah and Information Committee chairman, who was earlier issued an arrest warrant for failing to be present to testify in the petition trial.
The Bukit Payung assemblyman was present as a witness on behalf of the petitioner.
The Terengganu Election Court had on Feb 12 dismissed a preliminary objection by PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang to the election petition filed by a Barisan Nasional candidate to annul the result of the Marang parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
Hassan then set March 6 to 21 to hear the full election petition.
On Jan 3, Terengganu Umno filed a petition to annul the results for the Kuala Terengganu, Marang and Kemaman parliamentary seats in GE15 in accordance with the Election Offences Act 1954.
Terengganu Umno chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said said among the points raised in the petition were allegations that PAS had bribed voters by distributing financial aid from the state government through the i-Pension, i-Belia and i-Student initiatives from Nov 15 to 17, 2022, just a few days before the GE15.
