Dissolve assembly if no approval for 13 new seats — Yong
KOTA KINABALU: The unexplained delay over the approval of the 13 new state seats in the Sabah Legislative Assembly is becoming a cause for concern over whether the Sabah Government should continue to function or whether it should dissolve the assembly to pave the way for elections.
The Sabah Legislative Assembly had last August approved amendments to the Sabah constitution, by a two-thirds majority, to increase the number of Assembly seats from 60 to 73.
“All sorts of reasons were given by the government for the necessity to have an additional 13 constituencies,” said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
“The Election Commission later prepared for the creation of the 13 constituencies.
“New boundaries of existing constituencies were drawn up.
“The Election Commission then published the boundaries of the new and existing constituencies.
“It finally conducted public hearings. So much money and efforts have been spent. And yet, after one year, there is still no sign of any approval forthcoming,” Yong said.
“Is it because of the intense bickering over the new seats among BN component parties that have derailed the creation of the new constituencies?
“What has happened to all the justifications that the BN leaders gave last year for the 13 new seats?
“If Parliament does not pass the new electoral boundaries for Sabah together with the 13 new constituencies, then it means that the amendments to the Sabah constitution (increasing the membership of the Assembly to 73) has become totally redundant,” he contended.
He said this would be a serious breach of the status and dignity of the Sabah Legislative Assembly and the Sabah constitution.
Yong, who is a former chief minister, said: “If Parliament does not approve the Sabah new constituencies in its current sitting (of Parliament), then the Sabah Legislative Assembly should be dissolved so that Sabahans can elect a new Assembly that is capable of upholding the status and dignity of the Sabah Legislative Assembly which is the highest authority in Sabah.”