KOTA KINABALU: Political activist Zainnal Ajamain has speculated that it is a concern for political stability that may be prompting the Sabah government to make the rumoured move of extending the term of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin.
Speaking to FMT, he said he disagreed with pundits who believe the government is seeking to reward Juhar for the role he played in the appointment of Shafie Apdal to the post of chief minister against protests by former chief minister Musa Aman and his supporters.
Zainnal said several people were vying to succeed Juhar as state governor.
“I know there are several people who are right now clamouring for the job,” he said, adding that the jostling might cause some instability.
“Maybe if Juhar’s term is extended, the government will be seen as fair in this issue.”
There are rumours that a special state assembly sitting scheduled for this Thursday will see the government proposing an amendment to the Sabah constitution to enable an extension of the governor’s term.
Juhar’s term will expire at the end of this month. He has held the post since Jan 1, 2011. Under the state constitution, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri cannot hold office for more than two four-year terms, continuously or otherwise.
A day after the May 9 general election, Juhar swore in Musa as chief minister but subsequently told him to resign. He swore in Shafie to the post on May 12 and afterwards lodged a police report alleging that his swearing-in of Musa had been made under threat by the former chief minister.
Zainnal, an analyst of the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, said he didn’t believe the integrity of that document would be compromised if the constitution were to be amended for the purpose of extending the governor’s term.
The Sabah constitution, which was drafted without input from the Federation of Malaya, is annexed to the 1963 agreement. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.