INCUMBENT Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) objecting to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) naming of Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos as its candidate for the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat in the forthcoming 15th General Election (GE15).
In a letter to EC chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh, Kok said she had served Jamal with a bankruptcy notice on Aug 30 based on a judgment she received.
On July 26, the High Court ruled that Jamal was liable for defaming Kok in 2017 when he accused her of misappropriating Yayasan Warisan Anak Selangor (Yawas) funds under the state government’s Skim Mesra Usia Emas (SMUE) initiative.
The court ordered him to pay Kok RM300,000 in damages and RM50,000 in costs.
It was reported on Sept 18 that Kok had filed a bankruptcy notice against Jamal after he failed to settle the sum. The bankruptcy notice stated that Jamal owed her RM351,479.45
“As of today, Jamal has not completed the (payment) and my bankruptcy proceedings against him are ongoing. There is a possibility that he will be declared bankrupt as a result of the proceedings,” Kok, a four-term DAP MP who will be re-contesting the Seputeh seat in GE15, said.
In view of this, Kok urged the EC to prevent Jamal from being a candidate for Sungai Besar during the nomination process tomorrow (Nov 5).
During the nomination process, representatives from the police and the insolvency department will be present to screen candidates.
According to Article 48(1) of the Federal Constitution, a person is qualified for membership of Parliament if one was an “undischarged bankrupt” or a convict that has served a sentence of more than one year or is fined more than RM2,000 and has not received a free pardon. – Nov 4, 2022
