Mositun: CM should explain delay in approving Sabah’s 13 new state seats

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Datuk Johnny Mositun

PAPAR: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) wants the Elections Commission (EC) to show some sense of urgency over having Sabah’s 13 new state constituencies listed in the electoral rolls.

It also wants the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal to explain why this has not been done despite the state assembly having approved the new seats and gazetted these before 14th general election.

“The Sabah State Constitution provided for 73 state constituencies but because the 13 new constituencies were not included in the Election Commission (EC) rolls only 60 were contested in 14th general election instead of 73.

“Surely that would have affected the 14th general election results in Sabah, although we can’t say how for certain,” said PBS vice-president and Pantai Manis division chief, Datuk Johnny Mositun.

Mositun said it disturbed him to see the new EC Chairman, Azhar Azizan Harun, implying improprieties in last year’s re-delineation of electoral constituencies in Peninsular Malaysia and wanting to correct them but said nothing about the EC’s refusal or inability to list Sabah’s 13 new state constituencies in the 14th general election’s electoral rolls..

Mositun said Azhar should live up to his reputation of being fair-minded and take up the matter with the Prime Minister’s Department if that is where the matter was being held up.

By way of explanation, Mositun said it was the State Assembly’s prerogative and right to decide on the number of state constituencies but the EC would conduct the redelineation.

“Once done, the State Assembly would approve and gazette the changes, amending the State Constitution accordingly. The Prime Minister would then obtain the King’s assent , present it in Parliament after which the EC would prepare new electoral roles incorporating all the changes.”

Mositun said: “Two years have gone by since the re-delineation was done but no explanation has been forthcoming from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Chief Minister’s Office or the Elections Commission as to why the new constituencies for Sabah were not presented in Parliament while those for Peninsular Malaysia were. Why the double standard? ”

The former Deputy State Assembly Speaker said the Shafie should call on the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to expedite the matter with the EC .

“The 13 new state constituencies is our right. There were no problems with approving the new constituencies for Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, but strangely there is a deafening silence over Sabah’s new constituencies.This is wrong,” Mositun said.