Exclusion of Sabah is shocking, says Yong
Published on: Saturday, March 24, 2018
Kota Kinabalu: SAPP President Datuk Yong Teck Lee said it is shocking that the Election Commission (EC) report on electoral review to Parliament has left out the Sabah review. According to him, based on the leaks of the news of the embargoed EC report to Parliament, only the review for Malaya states was contained in the report. "In fact, the Prime Minister has a constitutional duty to, as soon as possible, lay before Parliament the report of the EC on the review of the Sabah electoral boundaries and the increase of 13 state seats in time for the coming elections.
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"This is clearly provided for in Section 9 of the 13th Schedule of the Federal Constitution. Once the EC has submitted its report to the PM under Section B of the same, Section 9 has been triggered. "Therefore, the Prime Minister has no discretion not to table the EC report to the Dewan Rakyat. The approval or not of the EC report is the authority of Parliament, not the Prime Minister.
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By withholding the EC report on Sabah, the PM is, in effect, usurping the authority of Parliament. "Under Article 113(6) of the Federal Constitution, the review of electoral boundaries for Sabah and Sarawak and the "States of Malaya" (known as Negeri Negeri Tanah Melayu) are done separately.
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"It is generally known that the EC report on Sabah has been submitted to the Prime Minister in early 2017. There have been more than sufficient opportunities for the PM to fulfil his constitutional duty to lay the EC report before Parliament," he said in a statement, Friday.Yong said according to official media reports quoting the Chairman of the Election Commission Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah, the EC report on the States of Malaya was delayed by almost a year due to legal challenges. But there were no legal challenges to the EC report on Sabah. "Last year, the EC had completed its tasks on time within the maximum two-year period allowed. "There is grave concern arising from mainstream media reports of Ministers' public statements that the Prime Minister might not lay the EC report before Parliament at all. "The latest revelation came from Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who was officially quoted as saying that there is 'still room for discussion between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister on whether Sabah should go into the 14th General Election with 60 or with the additional 13 seats" and "whatever the decision is, either to increase by 13 seats or not". "Legally, politically and administratively, the discussion has been over and done with in August 2016 when the Sabah Legislative Assembly passed the amendments to the Sabah Constitution to increase the membership of the Assembly to 73. "Sabah is governed by laws and not by the whims and fancies of the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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