Table report on new Sabah seats soon, says PBS

Its secretary-general Johnny Mositun says the Election Commission’s proposal to increase the state seats to 73 from 60 will lapse next month if not endorsed by Parliament.

PBS secretary-general Johnny Mositun says it is a gross insult and injustice to Sabah that the formality of placing the EC report before Parliament has yet to be done after almost two years. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: PBS secretary-general Johnny Mositun has urged Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to table the Election Commission’s redelineation report for 13 new state constituencies for Sabah for approval in the current Dewan Rakyat meeting.

He said failure to do so will invalidate the redelineation proposed by the EC.

“Under the Elections Act, the proposal for redelineation must be presented and endorsed within two years, failing which it becomes invalid,” he said in a statement today.

He said the proposal, which was presented to former prime minister Najib Razak, will automatically lapse if it is not tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this August.

Najib was expected to present the EC’s report for Sabah together with those for the states in the peninsula in the last Dewan Rakyat meeting before the 14th general election (GE14) in May.

“That was not done. Enquiries with the EC turned up a blank. All their officials would say was the EC had done its work and the rest was up to the prime minister,” Mositun said.

“In the end, only the redelineation of electoral boundaries for Peninsular Malaysia was presented in Parliament and approved just before GE14.

“The proposals for Sabah were not tabled and no explanation has been forthcoming.”

Mositun, who is the former state assembly deputy speaker, said the redelineation report had been passed by the state legislative assembly, assented to by the Sabah governor, gazetted and the state constitution amended to accommodate 73 seats from the existing 60.

“It is a gross insult and injustice to Sabah that the formality of placing this EC report before Parliament has yet to be done after almost two years,” he said.

He pointed out that the state election had been conducted using the previous electoral rolls with 60 seats contested instead of 73.

“At state level, the legality of the elections for state seats in GE14 can be questioned. How can an election be held for 60 state seats when the number of seats stated in the state constitution is 73?” he said.

As such, he said, PBS would request through official channels for the EC report on the redelineation of state constituencies to be presented in this Parliament meeting.

“We believe it can and will be done. After all, GE14 is over and there is a new government running the country. We are hopeful this matter will be settled quickly,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mositun said PBS was heartened to know that a Cabinet committee had been set up to examine issues related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“We hold the Pakatan Harapan government to its pre-election promises to respect and honour MA63 and reinstate our rights and autonomy. PBS is not aligned to anyone, and we will speak without fear or favour,” he said. -FMT