SEREMBAN: Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan's unopposed victory for the Rantau state seat in the 14th General Election (GE14) has been declared null and void.
This means a by-election will be held for Rantau.
The ruling was handed down by the Special Election Court, here, after Judge Datuk Azimah Omar heard arguments from the petitioner, Dr S Streram's lawyers as well as lawyers of Mohamad, the first respondent, over 12 days.
The hearing involved 19 witnesses.
"There is no rule or election regulation that states that an electoral candidate, proposer and seconder should have a name tag to enter the nomination hall to submit the nomination form.
"This was agreed by the second and third respondents' lawyers in their written submissions," Azimah said.
Azimah further said that in the election rulebook, it was stated that name tags or entry passes were not mandatory requirements, in fact any candidate could just walk into the nomination hall.
Mohamad who is also Umno deputy president was represented by a team of five lawyers led by Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun while Streram was represented by a four-men team led by Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla.
On May 23, Streram filed a petition to challenge the Election Commission's (EC) declaration of Mohamad's unopposed victory for the state seat.
This, after Streram was denied entry into the nomination hall on April 28 to file his papers as a candidate for Rantau, in which the reason given was that he did not have an EC pass.
Streram, 63, named Mohamad as the first respondent in his petition, followed by EC returning officer Amino Agus as the second respondent and the commission itself as the third respondent.
It was alleged that Amino had denied Streram entry into the nomination hall because he did not have an EC candidate's pass.
Following Streram's petition, Mohamad, or Tok Mat as he is more commonly known as, filed a motion to strike out Streram's petition on June 25.
Speaking to reporters after the decision today, Mohamad informed that he has 14 days to file an appeal.