KOTA KINABALU: The disclosure last week by the chairman of the Election Commission (EC), Tan Sri Mohd Hashim Abdullah, that parliamentary approval is all that remains for the proposed electoral boundary redelineation to take effect in Sabah shows that the redelineation proposal is entirely in the hands of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee, who pointed this out, said the EC had clarified that there is no pending challenge before any court of law to the electoral redelineation proposals in Sabah and Sarawak, which are carried out separately from that of the peninsula states. Only Johore, Penang and Selangor have pending legal suits challenging the electoral redelineation.
The proposed changes to Sabah’s electoral map includes the creation of an additional 13 new state constituencies which means that the next legislative assembly will have 73 members instead of the current membership of 60 members, he said in a statement yesterday.
Yong added at the legislative assembly debate last August, ministers had given reasons for increasing the size of the assembly by amending the Sabah constitution to allow for 13 new seats. The assembly dutifully amended the constitution following which the EC carried out a redelineation exercise to create the 13 new constituencies.
“Not only were much costs and work incurred by the Election Commission, members of the public also took part in submitting objections and attending public hearings. More than a year later, it seems that it has all been a waste of time and money,” he said.
“Of constitutional importance is whether the amendment to the Sabah constitution has been gazetted or not. If the constitutional amendment to have 73 assemblypersons has been gazetted after receiving the assent of the State Governor, but the coming election is only for 60 assemblypersons, then it is possible that a breach of the Sabah constitution would occur.
“If, on the other hand, the August 2016 amendment to the constitution has not been assented to by the State Governor or not gazetted, then it makes a mockery of the prestige and supremacy of the Legislative Assembly and signifies a failure of governance by constitution.
“If, however, it is the federal cabinet that has failed to forward the Sabah redelineation exercise to Parliament for approval, then this is a shameful disregard of the will and dignity of the Sabah Legislature by the federal government. Whatever the real situation is, as the elections will have to be held in a matter of months, the government owes the people a clear and urgent explanation on what is happening to the proposed electoral redelineation of Sabah,” he said.