13 new seats in GE14: Pairin says it’s 50-50

KOTA KINABALU: Implementation of Sabah's additional 13 assembly seats is 5050 for the upcoming 14th general election, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

“It's 50-50. Yes, it could be like this on the one hand and the other way on the other hand,” he said when asked about the matter after officiating at the 2018 Sustainable Energy Convention here yesterday.

“It is a matter which is being studied and of course whatever the process are, it will be taken into account. Whatever the laws are, it will have to be taken into account,” he added.

Earlier, during the interview, Pairin stressed that the decision has to come from the concerned parties, and matters related to this are still being studied.

“So, we wait for the decision from those who are involved directly or indirectly,” he said.

Pairin also said no decision has been made on whether the matter will be brought up at Parliament in March, this year.

“We do not know yet. No decision has been made yet, (it is) still under scrutiny,” he said.

The bill for the additional 13 seats was tabled and passed by the State Assembly on August 9, 2016, and the Head of State gave his assent to it a week later.

Gabungan Sabah had pointed out that it would be unconstitutional to hold an election for 60 state legislative assembly members instead of 73.

One of the party leaders in Gabungan Sabah, Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee said this is because the amendment to Article 14(2) of the Sabah Constitution in 2016 had been approved by the assembly, assented to by the Head of State and gazetted by the government.