Hadi gives evidence in Marang election petition trial

He says today’s proceedings went smoothly and he was able to answer all the questions.

KUALA TERENGGANU: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang appeared at the Kuala Terengganu High Court today to give evidence in the election petition trial for the Marang parliamentary constituency.

The Marang MP, who arrived at 9am, gave his evidence for over an hour before High Court judge Hassan Abdul Ghani, who sat as the election judge.

When met at the Kuala Terengganu court complex, Hadi expressed his gratitude that today’s proceedings went smoothly and that he was able to answer all the questions posed by lawyers from both sides.

He said he was able to answer all the lawyers’ questions as there was no violation of election laws and it was more of a battle of nerves.

Meanwhile, lawyer Takiyuddin Hassan, representing Hadi, said they had called all the witnesses and Hadi was the last.

“But the petitioner is still not finished with calling witnesses,” he said.

Also present as a witness was state human development, dakwah and information committee chairman Nor Hamzah, who was earlier issued an arrest warrant for failing to be present to testify in the court proceedings.

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 Hadi, who is PAS president, against the election petition, filed by a Barisan Nasional candidate to annul the result of the Marang parliamentary seat in GE15.

Hassan had set March 6 to 21 to hear the 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 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 GE15.