Kok claims that Jamal, who is the Sungai Besar Umno division chief, has yet to settle the terms of a judgment in a suit she filed against him, which may lead to him being declared a bankrupt.

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.

“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.

“I have sent an objection letter yesterday to EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh on the matter,” said Kok, a four-term DAP MP who will be re-contesting the Seputeh seat in GE15.

A check on the EC’s website, however, showed that an individual is disqualified from being a candidate in a state or parliamentary election if he or she is an undischarged bankrupt.

Asked to comment on Kok’s letter to the EC, Thomas Fann, the head of electoral reform group Bersih, said the EC cannot legally reject Jamal as a candidate for GE15 as he has not been declared bankrupt.

“However, if he wins his seat in Sungai Besar and the bankruptcy proceedings are finalised, he would have to vacate his seat and a by-election (would need to be) called,” he said.

“Politically, Umno may want to reconsider a candidate who may be facing disqualification soon after the election, an issue the other candidates in Sungai Besar will exploit to their advantage.”

Fann also pointed out that Article 48 of the Federal Constitutions states that a person is disqualified from being a member of either House of Parliament if he is an undischarged bankrupt.