BN postpones naming Pujut candidate at 11th hour

KUCHING: The state Barisan Nasional ( BN) postponed its announcement on the candidate for the Pujut by- election yesterday.

The announcement, supposedly to be made by state BN chairman and Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, was cancelled two hours before the scheduled press conference.

Abang Johari was expected to announce the BN candidate at the PBB headquarters in Jalan Bako here at 3pm.

It is bel ieved that the announcement was cancelled due to the High Court’s decision to fix today (June 17) to deliver a judgement on the Originating Summons filed by former Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon.

High Court Judge Datuk Douglas Christo Primus Sikayun ruled that the decision on the Originating Summons will have to be made today due to the urgency of the case and the approaching date of the by- election.

Dr Ting filed an Originating Summons in the High Court here on June 7 to challenge the State Legislative Assembly’s ( DUN) decision to unseat him on May 12 when he lost his seat in a 7010 vote in favour of a ministerial motion.

The motion sought to disqualify him for having once acquired Australian citizenship although he subsequently renounced it.

Malaysia does not allow its citizens to hold dual citizenship.

The Election Commission has fi xed June 20 for nomination and July 4 for polling.

Dr Ting won the Pujut seat with 8,899 votes in the 2016 state election. He defeated Barisan Nasional’s direct candidate Datuk Hii King Chiong who obtained 7,140 votes, and Jofri Jaraiee from PAS as well as independent Fong Pau Teck.

There are 20,070 registered voters in the constituency.