Anifah, Warisan react to Federal Court decision over Kimanis seat

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 2 -- Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said he is saddened but not surprised at the decision of the Federal Court which today dismissed his appeal against the Election Court’s nullification of his election as the Kimanis MP.

"I will go back to Kimanis and discuss with my supporters on my next course of action," he said in a statement.

Anifah is partyless after having left UMNO in September 2018. He held the Kimanis seat for 20 years after winning it for the first time in 1999.

Today, a five-member bench of the Federal Court, led by Chief Justice Tan Sri Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, unanimously dismissed Anifah's appeal to set aside the Election Court ruling of Aug 16 declaring null and void his win in the seat in Sabah in the 14th General Election (GE14).

Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) candidate Datuk Karim Bujang filed the petition on June 18 last year to challenge the election result.

Anifah had won the seat with a 156-vote majority, securing 11,942 votes against Karim’s 11,786 votes. Another candidate, Jaafar Ismail of Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, had obtained 1,300 votes.

In KOTA KINABALU, Warisan welcomed the Federal Court decision.

Its secretary-general, Loretto Padua, reminded party leaders and members that the real victory will be when Warisan wins the forthcoming by-election.

Replying to a question, he said the choice of candidate for the by-election will be left to Warisan president and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

-- BERNAMA