Sabah Government confused on Article 6(7) and deleted it from Constitution

Daniel John Jambun,  31-5-2023

SABAH's gov't legal advisor Fuad Ahmad statement on Article 6(7) which has been deleted from the Sabah Constitution by the Hajiji government merits right of  reply.

The Hansard from before 1990 and media reports from and/or around that time will show that Article 6(7) covers the possibility that three or more political parties may be in the fray. It was about political stability.

Article 6(7) would be redundant if there are only two parties taking part in the state election.

Article 6(7) isn't about simple majority, and read with Article 6(3), does not rule out minority gov't. Coalition gov't can come after minority gov't has been sworn in.

Sabah, without Article 6(7), may be plagued again by endless power grab.

Even when Article 6(7) was in the Constitution, it was observed in the breach and/or there was no compliance.

After Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1994, and before Shafie Apdal in 2018, and after the latter, all Chief Ministers were appointed in defiance of Article 6(7).

In fact, after two defections from gov't in 1994, Pairin was still the only lawmaker eligible for the Chief Minister's post.

He was literally chased out by dictatorial Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Shafie Apdal's maternal uncle Sakaran Dandai, was picked by Mahathir as Chief Minister. That's violation of the Sabah Constitution.

Sakaran stepped down after nine months and became Governor. He has since passed away.

After Sakaran and before Musa Aman, there was a Chief Minister every two years. Musa's appointment, also unconstitutional, saw the end of the rotation of the Chief Minister's post every two years.

The Pandora's Box opened after the Governor appointed Shafie Apdal as Chief Minister on Sat 12 May 2018, two days after appointing Musa Aman unlawfully. Shafie Apdal was the rightful Chief Minister under Article 6(7).

Musa Aman took the matter to court. He was denied by the High Court and the court of appeal. The High Court did not tell Musa that he wasn't eligible under Article 6(7). Instead, it pontificated sanctimoniously on this and that and that and this.

The court of appeal saw no reason to set aside and or disturb the High Court Ruling based on the "dictionary meaning of majority".

The Federal Court, by majority opinion on Tues 1 Sept 2020, said the Governor had no discretion beyond that defined in the Sabah Constitution. In short, the Governor could not sack Musa i.e. if he did. The Governor denied sacking Musa and claimed that he only advised him to step down. The Federal Court should have told Musa that he was never appointed under Article 6(7).

Again, bad habits die hard, as Hajiji was appointed Chief Minister after the snap Sabah election on Sat 26 Sept 2020. Shafie was the only eligible candidate under Article 6(7).

Since Article 6(7) has been deleted, the state assembly remains the right and proper forum for electing the Chief Minister. There should be at least three candidates, from across the political divide, in the running. The Speaker has discretion. If no candidate gets 51 per cent of the votes counted, there should be runoff between the top two contenders.

Based on parliamentary procedures in the Commonwealth, at least two-third of the

state assembly should be present and voting for the new Chief Minister. That provides the quorum.

Voting should be by show of hands. There should be no secret ballot or voice vote.

The new Chief Minister can form Cabinet of lawmakers, not political parties.

Daniel John Jambun is President of Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)

PBM Sabah lebih aktif selepas mendapat Pengerusi baru

Jayden Lisando, 30-5-2023

Kota Marudu : Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) cawangan Sabah dijangka melaksanakan lebih banyak aktiviti dalam bulan-bulan akan datang ini.

Ketuanya, Jupperi Lenson, memberitahu Borneo Herald, beliau menjangka lebih banyak program PBM Sabah dibuat dengan kerjasama PBM Pusat.

"Kita akan umumkan program-program berkenaan selepas kunjungan hormat pimpinan negeri beserta Presiden PBM, Datuk Larry Sng kepada Ketua Menteri, Datuk Hajiji Noor," katanya.

Tarikh kunjungan hormat itu bagaimanapun belum dimuktamadkan.

Demikian juga dengan sambutan Tadau Kaamatan PBM di Kota Marudu belum diumumkan.

Sementara itu, dalam diam-diam, Jupperi dan pimpinan PBM Sabah aktif merekrut ahli baru dan mengambil bahagian dalam majlis politik di seluruh negara termasuk Konvensyen Nasional Kerajaan Perpaduan di Kuala Lumpur 14 Mei baru-baru ini.

PBM Sabah kini ada kira-kira 25,000 orang ahli dengan 14,000 darinya adalah di Bahagian Kota Marudu yang diketuai sendiri oleh Jupperi.

Berikut gambar-gambar bercerita mengenai aktiviti Jupperi..#

Tommy T. Gedeus juara Mr Kaamatan (MRK) Sabah 2023

                         Tommy T. Gedeus

Penampang : Wakil KDCA Putrajaya, Tommy T. Gedeus, asal Kg Bolotikon, Papar, dipilih "buvazoi tavantang" atau Mr Kaamatan (MRK) peringkat negeri Sabah sempena Tadau Kaamatan tahun ini 2023.

                            Deaigo Emanuel

Wakil KDCA Pulau Pinang, Deaigo Emanuel, 22, asal Kota Marudu, pula naib johan manakala peserta mewakili KDCA Lembah Kelang, Lexterinus Harris, asal Keningau, di tempat ketiga.

           MRK...tampan, segak, petah & menarik

Pemilihan Mr Kaamatan itu julung kali diadakan di Dewan KDCA Penampang semalam dihadiri ramai peminat yang memenuhi dewan. Tiket masuk RM15 dikatakan laris.

MRK kini menjadi salah satu tarikan utama pada perayaan dua hari di Dewan KDCA, mendampingi pemilihan Unduk Ngadau atau Ratu Pesta Kaamatan pada kemuncak sambutan esok, 31 Mei, 2023.#

What was the Article 6(7) of Sabah Constitution recently repealed by the GRS-controlled DUN

MUCH have been said about the recent amendment or rather repeal of Article 6(7) of the Sabah Contitution. But what it is actually? The said article was initiated and passed during the PBS government and meant to guide the state TYT in the appointment of a Chief Minister immediately after a state general election.

Here is one view on the said repeal pushed by  the current GRS government and passed, as GRS commands two third majority in the State Assembly. Opposition Warisan however voted against the repeal..    Editor

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PBM Sabah ada 25,000 orang ahli masa ini

  Jupperi mempengerusi mesyuarat PBM Sabah

                                  hari ini.

Kota Kinabalu : Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) kini mempunyai 25,000 orang ahli, dengan 14,000 darinya adalah dari kawasan Kota Marudu.

Demikian kata Pengerusi PBM Sabah, Jupperi Lenson, kepada Borneo Herald, selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat parti itu di sini hari ini.

Jupperi, yang juga Ahli Majlis Tertinggi PBM, berkata mesyuarat hari ini antara lain membincangkan sambutan Tadau Kaamatan PBM yang dijadual diadakan di Kota Marudu dan dan akan dihadiri Presiden PBM, Datuk Larry Sng.

Katanya, mesyuarat juga membincang penyusunan lebih banyak Bahagian parti itu di Sabah serta menambah ahli.

Jupperi (tiga dari kiri) menerima borang              permohonan ahli dari Osman Marajin dari Ranau.

Jupperi, 47, yang juga Ketua Bahagian PBM Kota Marudu dan merupakan seorang jurutera awam, sebelum ini Naib Pengerusi PBM Sabah dilantik Pengerusi menggantikan Rahimah Majid selepas krisis melanda parti itu baru-baru ini.

Jupperi yang juga Presiden Persatuan Kontraktor Sabah (PKS) adalah seorang yang aktif dalam masyarakat dan dunia perniagaan.

Baru-baru ini beliau menjadi speaker jemputan pada Minggu Kewangan dan Pelaburan 2023 di Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).#

Jupperi Lenson ketuai Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) Sabah

               

Jayden Lisando, 26-5-2023

Kota Kinabalu : Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) yang dilanda krisis baru-baru ini, kini diketuai orang baru di Sabah iaitu Jupperi Lenson, 47, dari Kota Marudu.

               

                              Jupperi Lenson

Jupperi, seorang usahawan, menggantikan Rahimah Majid yang sebelum ini bersama Datuk Zuraidah Kamarudin dalam perselisihannya dengan Datuk Larry Sng, presiden PBM.

Larry dijadual menemui ketua-ketua bahagian PBM Sabah esok di Penampang dan kemudian dijangka bertemu Ketua Menteri Sabah Datuk Hajiji Noor.#

Anti-hop law does not guarantee stability, Article 6(7) should have been retained

                         Daniel John Jambun

Daniel John Jambun, 26-5-2023

Kota Kinabalu :  Article 6(7) of the Sabah Constitution isn't about simple majority, it does not rule out minority gov't.

Simple majority can come, through coalition, after minority gov't was sworn in.

Under Article 6(7), only Pairin and Shafie Apdal qualified. Pairin, in fact, even still qualified after there were two defections from his gov't in 1994. Sakaran, who succeeded Pairin in 1994, did not qualify under Article 6(7).

In short, all Chief Ministers in Sabah between Pairin and Shafie Apdal and after the latter were unlawfully appointed.

That's the real reason why Article 6(7) was deleted from the Sabah Constitution. It's also because Article 6(7) was observed in the breach after Pairin and after Shafie Apdal.

Article 6(7) was introduced by Pairin for political stability. It was followed by the first anti hop law in M'sia. The anti hop law was struck down by the High Court before the 1994 early election on the grounds that "an inferior law was null and void to the extent of its inconsistency with a superior law". Parliament had no anti hop law.

Although the Pairin gov't fell in 1994 because of the anti hop law being struck down, Pairin could have still stayed on as Chief Minister because of Article 6(7).

It's surprising that Pairin, a lawyer and the Architect of Article 6(7) and the anti hop law, caved in amidst pressure from the Mahathir gov't.

The new anti hop law in Sabah doesn't solve anything.

If anything, there would be even greater political instability.

The new anti hop law is unconstitutional since Article 10 in the Federal Constitution cannot be amended under the Basic Features Doctrine (BFD) which permeates the Constitution.

A seat, under Article 5, Article 8 and Article 13, belongs to the holder. It cannot belong to a party.

There's no "race", religion and political party in the legislature.

The law may strip a lawmaker of seat, i.e. if amendment to Article 10 isn't declared unconstitutional, but it cannot strip a lawmaker of property rights. The seat is the property of the lawmaker. The gov't would have to compensate a lawmaker if his or her seat is vacated.#

Daniel John Jambun currently is president of Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)