PUTRAJAYA, 7 Jan 2009: The DAP’s Fong Kui Lun retained his Bukit Bintang parliamentary seat after his challenger, Datuk Dr Lee Chong Meng of the Barisan Nasional, withdrew his appeal in the Federal Court here today.
Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Datuk Augustine Paul ans Datuk Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin made the order after allowing Lee’s application to withdraw his appeal against the High Court’s rejection of his election petition.
On 25 April Lee filed a petition in the High Court here seeking to declare the election of Fong as Bukit Bintang MP null and void.
He claimed that Fong, who polled 26,811 votes to win the seat with a 14,277-vote majority in the March general election, was not the duly elected MP.
The High Court dismissed the petition after ruling that Lee had failed to meet the requirements of section 32(c) of the Election Offences Act that he supply material facts on his allegation of corruption by the DAP candidate during polling.
Fong told reporters outside the courthouse that he was relieved with the decision and that his victory was the decision of the people who had elected him lawfully.
Lee was represented by counsel Wan Azmir Wan Majid while Karpal Singh represented Fong. — Bernama
