Pairin to Batang Ai

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan will lead the Barisan Nasional (BN) delegation from the `Land Below The Wind' to render support to the oalition's candidate for Sarawak's Batang Ai by-election Nomination Day (March 29).
According to Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Chief Information Officer, Johnny Mositun, Pairin who is also PBS President and the Sabah BN delegation would be leaving on March 28 (Saturday).
He said Pairin was leading the delegation since Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman who is the Sabah BN chief is currently attending the Umno General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur.
Nomination Day has been set for March 29 and in the event of a contest polling day is on April 7.
The seat fell vacant after its incumbent from BN's Parti Rakyat Sarawak Datuk Dublin Unting passed away on Feb 24 this year.

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Ex-MP Jawah PKR's man for Batang Ai

It is now confirmed that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate for the April 7, by-election in Batang Ai is former Member of Parliament for Lubok Antu Jawah Gerang (pic).

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who visited Lubuk Antu over the weekend, made the announcement in Kuching this morning.

A graduate in Economics from the University of Malaya, Jawah, 55, had worked with a bank in Kuching.

He was recruited by the defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) for the Lubok Antu parliamentary by-election on 3 and 4 April 1987 when the incumbent MP Andrew Janggi Muyang died following a road accident.

He won with a thumping victory and continue to retain the seat for four more terms.

Jawah is contesting the state seat of Batang Ai in a by-election, which is part of Lubok Antu parliamentary seat, following the death of the incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate is agriculture engineer Malcolm Mussen Lamoh from Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS). His candidacy was announced by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmod last Saturday.

In the 2006 State elections, Dublin (BN) won the seat when he polled 3,295 votes, 806 more than the 2,489 votes garnered by SNAP's Nicholas Bawin Anggat.

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No by-election for Pensiangan

To be updated

Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup keeps his Pensiangan parliamentary seat after the Federal Court in Kota Kinabalu a a few minutes ago allowed his appeal against an Election Court's decision declaring his win uncontested in the March 8, 2008 general elections was null and void.

Kurup, a first time MP, is Federal Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister.

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Election Petition - Api Api: PKR's appeal dismiss

To be updated

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai keeps his state seat for Api Api after the Federal Court in Kota Kinabalu dismissed with cost Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) appeal a few minutes ago.

Dr Yee, who is Sabah Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, won the seat with a slim majority of 174 votes in the March 8, 2008 general elections. He polled 3,419 votes while Sabah PKR deputy chief Christina Liew Chin Jin obtained 3,245 votes.

Liew's election agent filed an election petition seeking declaration that Dr Yee's victory was null and void for distributing pamphlets which implied that Liew was involved in undesirable elements. The Election Court dismissed the petition and PKR appealed to the Federal Court.

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BN candidate to be known Saturday

Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud today confirmed that more names have been submitted for consideration as a possible candidate for the Batang Ai by-election.

And this seems to confirm the news disclosed by The Broken Shield yesterday.In an interview with a national newspaper, he said that the Barisan Nasional would meet this Saturday and would name the candidate.

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) James Masing had submitted the name of a senior civil servant to the chief minister. However, the chief minister was said to have asked for more names, so that he had a better choice to choose from the list.

Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu also submitted another list of candidates for consideration.

Meanwhile, the youth leader of PRS of Batang Ai Branch, Vicker Andrew Enting wanted the BN to consider Nelson Naga Alam, private secretary to the late Dublin Unting to be a candidate.

The people, he said, would prefer a local rather than a parachute so-called professional to be a candidate.

“We will be very disappointed if Naga Alam is not the candidate,” he said.

Knowing that Taib was not happy with the PRS’ recommendation, two more persons have expressed interest to contest in the by-election as a BN candidate. One of them is a headmaster of a school and the other is an engineer.

Both of them have been conducting a signature campaign right in front of PKR officials today.While PKR candidate is more or less settled, the Barisan Nasional candidate is uncertain and this has placed the PRS and BN leadership in a dilemma. - The Broken Shield

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Taib says no to Masing's PRS candidate?

This blog tonight received unconfirmed reports that the chief minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud, is said to have rejected the sole nomination of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) for the Batang Ai by-election.

PRS president, James Masing had on 4 March submitted one name only as its nominee for the by-election to the chief minister for his “consideration”.

The Prime Minister and his Deputy had also been notified.

What Masing should have done was to say that “this is our man” and whether Taib Mahmud approves or disapproves is immaterial.

It was Masing’s mistake to give Taib the sole authority to consider its nomination. Using that given authority, Taib was forced to make a decision and his decision was to reject the nomination.

He has, however, asked Masing to submit a number of names for his consideration.Is it possible that Alfred Jabu’s list of nominees including an engineer with a private company and a senior civil servant may be considered? - The Broken Shield

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A Fourth By-Election?

Will we have a fourth by-election held simultaneously on April 7, 2009. The Election Commission had fixed March 29, for nomination for the by-election in Perak and Kedah, and yesterday fixed the same date for a by-election in Sarawak.

Though at this point in time, this may be just a speculation but a fourth by-election is likely to be held in Sabah for the parliamentary seat of Pensiangan.

The Federal Court on March 13, 2009 (Friday 13) will deliver its decision whether or not to grant Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's apppeal against Kota Kinabalu Election Court declaration on Sept 8, 2008 that his win uncontested in Pensiangan during the March 8, general elections was null and void.

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Polling for the Batang Ai state by-election in Sarawak will be held on April 7, simultaneously with the polls for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah.

Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, who chaired the commission meeting in Kuching yesterday in Kuching, said nomination was fixed for March 29, like for the other two seats.

Notice of the writ would be issued on Friday.

The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot, the Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president, on Feb 24.

Abdul Aziz said that after considering several factors, the EC felt that the Sarawak EC officer was ready for the by-election and it was timely to hold the by-elections simultaneously to avoid a long campaigning period.

An allocation of RM400,000 had been approved for the by-election, he told reporters after chairing a two-hour meeting to set the polling date.A total of 24 polling centres would be opened at schools, longhouses, kindergartens and government premises while 201 workers would be deployed, he said adding that Batang Ai had 8,006 registered voters comprising 7,963 ordinary and 43 postal voters.

Dublin won the Iban-majority seat in the state election in May 2006, beating Nicholas Bawin Anggat of Sarawak National Party (Snap) by 806 votes, and was appointed State Assistant Sports and Agriculture Minister.

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Pensiangan, Api Api next month

Pix: Dr Yee
Kota Kinabalu Election Court Judge David Wong Dak Wah will deliver on Sept 17, this year its judgement on the election petition by Pensiangan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) division chief Danny Anthony Andipai.

Andipai, whose candadicy was rejected on the Feb 24, 2008 nomination day, filed the petition on April9, 2008 seeking the election of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president and Federal Rural and Regional Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup in Pensiangan be declared null an void.

Meanwhile, Judge Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim will deliver judgement for the Api Api election petition on Sept 15, 2008.

The petition was filed on April 9, 2008 by Sabah PKR deputy head Christina Liew's agent Audrey Karen Barry, seeking to nullify Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president and Sabah Resources Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai's win in Api Api in the March 8, 2008 general elections.

In both cases, the petitioners sought to declare the elections' results null and void due to various breaches of the Election Offences Act 1954 and the Elections (Conduct of Election) Regulation 1981.

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This make sense

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee on Tuesday said:

1. Based on preliminary information, it seems that BN will spend more on the Permatang Pauh by-election than the RM 50 million that government is spending on tackling the illegal immigrant woes in Sabah and Labuan.

2. The national BN is already sending thousands of campaigners to Permatang Pauh. Knowing the extent and extravagance of BN campaigning, the costs will likely be in tens of millions of ringgit.

3. Sabah BN alone has announced sending hundreds of people to Permatang Pauh in Penang. UMNO Sabah leaders, youth, wanita, puteri and putera and BN components such as PBS are lining up to impress their federal leaders that they will diligently campaign to ensure a BN victory. For many UMNO divisional delegates, a trip to Permatang Pauh is also a joy trip for the on-going party divisional election campaign.

4. The costs of traveling, accommodation, food and campaigning will definitely amount to millions of ringgit. Where will this money come from? The money will not come from the national BN because the national BN is already near bankrupt by being unable to settle the (High Court) judgment debt of Ringgit 218 milllion as a result of the unpaid election bills of the 2004 general elections. It remains to be seen how the BN will settle the election debts of the March 2008 general elections. And now the BN has to face their most-feared opponent in a by-election.

5. We call on the Sabah government leaders not to allow Sabah to be the milking cow for the BN election debts of RM 218 million and for Permatang Pauh by-election. The reported RM 16 million purportedly sourced from Sabah and intended for the Permatang Pauh by-election that was intercepted by anti-money laundering law enforcement agencies in a foreign country lends credence to our worries.

6. SAPP asks the Sabah UMNO and other BN leaders whether it is in their conscience to waste Sabah peoples' money in this extravagant way.

7. At a time when large numbers of families in Sabah cannot afford an extra meal, people are struggling with petrol prices, children foregoing tuition classes, sick people missing out on medical treatment, tenants worried about over due rentals and electricity bills, the Sabah BN leaders must show that they care enough to do something about the peoples' livelihood. We all know that the worst is yet to come. By year end, families will face the prospects of higher school bus fares and various expenses related to schooling. Low income parents will have to make a heart breaking choice of either to send their kids back to school or to let them work in a tough job market due to economic stagnation with more jobless people. Inflation will rise beyond 8% and ordinary people will have to forgo some basic necessities of life.

8. On the part of SAPP, we shall only send a 3-cadre team to study the by-election for research purposes. Our 2 MPs might spend the week end parliament break to visit the constituency of Permatang Pauh with other MPs.

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I'll Go says Pairin

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who was last week called to step down by the party's divisional head for Kiulu Sinding Ranggangon, said he would step down.

"I do not intend to hold on as PBS president forever. I will go at the right time," he said when opening the PBS Tanjung Aru and Petagas divisions AGM in Kota Kinabalu Sunday.

Pairin also disclosed that Sindin was airing out his frustration because he was not selected as candidate to contest Kiulu in the March 8, 2008 general elections.He said Sindin had been lobbying for Kiulu but incumbent Datuk Louis Rampas was retained to contest and won the seat.


My Say:

I rest my case.

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The electoral postal votes bag

Sabah Election Commission director Mohd Idrus Ismail said he would leave the `Postal votes bag found in Kampung Tebobon, Menggatal on July 21' matter to the police to investigate.

As the matter has been reported to the police, let them do their investigation. For now, I do not want to comment further on it," he said.

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Postal votes bag found!!!

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah deputy liaison head Daniel John Jambun has lodged a police report about the discovery of an Election Commission Postal Votes Bag for the March 8, 2008 general elections at Kampung Tebobon, Menggatal.

Contacted tonight, Daniel said he went to the Menggatal police station where his report was recorded. He was than told to go to the Kota Kinabalu City Police HQ at Karamunsing at 6.40pm where his statement and that of the residents who found the bag were taken.

"I had just came out from the police station," he said when I called him just now (at 10.05pm).

Daniel said several residents were clearing the river bank in Kampung Tebobon on July 21 morning when they stumbled upon the bag. The villagers called him today and upon checking, it was a bag similar to the EC Postal Votes Bag used in the elections.

"Inside the bag were several small bags which were used to keep ballot papers, all opened and there was no ballot papers," he said, adding that there were words written in the smaller bags.

Daniel said he made the police report so that the relevant authorities could conduct investigation to `this serious matter.'

Daniel contested in the Inanam state seat in the general elections but lost to incumbent Johnny Goh of Parti Bersatu Sabah by 1,686 votes. Daniel polled 4,293 against the 5,979 votes garnered by Goh. DAP's Jeffrey Kumin obtained 2,864 votes while an independent candidate, Clarence Chin, lost his deposit after getting only 196 votes.

My Say:

Let hear what EC has to say about this and also together we wait for the outcome of police investigation.

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One Up For Kurup

One of the two candidates rejected in the Pensiangan parliamentary constituency in the March 8, general election, who had filed election petition seeking to disqualify Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's victory without a contest, had withdrawn his petition today.

However, Independent Saineh Usau has to wait until June 17, this year when his application to withdraw would be heard by High Court Judge David Wong Dak Wah in the Kota Kinabalu court.

The petition filed by Usau, whose nomination papers was rejected by Returning Officer Bubudan OT Majalou, was brought up for mention today to fix date of hearing but his lawyer Arthur Bonnie informed the court that his client had instructed him not to proceed with the petition.

With Usau's withdrawal, Kurup, who is now Federal Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister, still have to face the petition filed by Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Danny Andipai.

Andipai's petition was also mentioned today to fix dates of hearing. The judge fixed June 17, this year for hearing of a preliminary objection to the petition by Kurup and the Returning Officer.

Should the objection is rejected, hearing was fixed for three days beginning July 9.

In today hearing, Kurup who is Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president was represented by Counsels Alex Decena, Hajah Mariati Robert and Wilson Lai.

Senior Federal Counsels Azizah Nawawi and Amarjeet Singh represented the Returning Officer in both petitions.

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More Election Petitions

Five election petitions were filed in the Kota Kinabalu High Court today. All are seeking for court orders to nullify the victory of Barisan Nasional candidates in the March 8, general elections.

The petitions are against Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahaya Hussin in the Petagas state seat, the against Dr Joachim Gunsalam who won the Kundasang seat and Johnny Goh Chin Lok of the Inanam state seat.

The MPs challanged are Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing (Tuaran) and Datuk Haji Abdul Rahman Dahlan (Kota Belud), both the petitioners are from opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

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More petitions

Consumers Association of Sabah and Labuan (Cash) president Datuk Patrick Sindu yesterday filed a petition at the High Court in Kota Kinabalu seeking an order to nullify the result of the Papar parliamentary constituency.

Sindu contested and lost as an Independent in the seat in the March 8, general elections. The winner was Barisan Nasional's Umno candidate Rosnah Rashid Sharlin. Two other candidates also lost.

He is seeking the order so as to make way for a by-election to be held.

Meanwhile, Cash deputy president Joshua Kong also filed a suit in the same court, almost the same time as Sindu, seeking court order to nulify all the results of the general elections.

Sindu and Kong claimed that the Election Commissions had conducted the elections not in accordance to election laws.

It is interesting to note that Sindu and Kong filed their respective suits themselves, without the services of lawyer.

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Another Election Petition

Defeated DAP candidate in the Sandakan parliamentary seat Shanty Chong had filed a petition in the Sandakan High Court yesterday seeking order to nullify the victory of Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk V K Liew in the March 8, general elestions.

Liew, who is Liberal Democratic Party's president and is now a Deputy Minister in the Federal Cabinet, won Sandakan polling 8.292 votes against the 8,121 votes garnered by Chong. An Independent candidate David Fong Vun Fui obtained 2,929 votes. Liew won the seat with 186 votes majority.

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Hello, Want To Be Minister???

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President and Member of Parliament for Sepanggar Datuk Eric Majimbun said he had received calls from from people claiming to be from the Prime Minister's office offering him ministerial position in the Federal Government.

He said the callers also asked him whether he was happy with the ministerial portfolio offered to him.

"You know it's a crank call as Putrajaya do not work that way. I don't take it seriously," Majimbun said. He believed that other MPs had also been receiving similar calls with most of them just listening to what the callers had to say.

In another development, SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has broken his silence on SAPP having been given no Federal posts despite winning two MP seats in the March 8, general elections.

"I have not answered this but now you ask about SAPP's feeling on the issues, I would say that since it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister, I cannot comment on it," Yong told reporters in Labuan yesterday (Sunday - April 13).

SAPP won in all the seats its contested - two MPs and four State seats - which caused higher expectations among the party's members, and that it was obvious that there was suppressed frustration when the party's performance was not acknowledge with Federal positions.

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Datuk Liew suspended

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), one of the Sabah-based Barisan Nasional component party members, today suspended one of its Vice President Datuk Liew Yun Fah, who was also wx-Youth and Sports Minister, for allegedly acting against the party in the March 8, general elections.

LDP President Datuk V K Liew, in announcing this after chairing the party's supreme council meeting, also announced that LDP Merotai Division which is also headed by Datuk Liew Yun Fah was also suspended.

V K Liew said Datuk Liew Yun Fah and the others had been issued with show cause letters which they must respond within 10 days, failing which they would be expelled from the party.


My Say:

This latest move by LDP only confirmed speculation that Datuk Liew Yun Fah did `sponsored' an Independent to contest against LDP's Peter Pang Yuk Ming after he was not re-nominated by LDP to defend the Merotai seat. Datuk Liew Yun Fah won the seat in 2004.

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Petitions against Kurup

Two election petitions were filed in the Kota Kinabalu High Court in Sabah yesterday, both seeking order to declare the election of Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Pensiangan parliamentary seat.

Kurup, who was declared winner of the seat uncontested, had been sworn-in before the King on March 18 as Federal Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister, is Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president.

The petitioners are opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Danny Anthony Andipai and Independent Saineh Usau.

Andipai, accompanied by lawyer and Sabah PKR chief Haji Ansari Abdullah, named Returning Officer Bubudan OT Majalu and Kurup as the first and second respondents, respectively.

Usau through his lawyer Arthur Bonnie named the State Election Officer, Bubudan and Kurup as the first, second and third respondents, respectively.

Both the petitioners are contending that Bubudan had not conducted the election in accordance with the principal laid down under the provision under the Election Act, 1958 and the Elections (Conduct of Election) Regulations, 1981.

They claimed that their candidacies were rejected by Bubudan even though they had complied with all the requirement, amongst others, paid the RM10,000 deposit and another RM5,000 deposit for election materials.

Andipai and Usau claimed that initially the Returning Officer had refused to accept their nomination papers saying that they handed their papers minutes after nomination closed at 10am but were accepted after consulting their lawyers.

Their nomination papers and that of Kurup's were displayed on the notice board during the 10am-11am objection period which both petitioners claimed that they did not received any objection to their candidacies.

However, the Returning Officer announced that there was no contest as Andipai and Usau papers were rejected and their were disqualified from contesting. Kurup was declared the winner - uncontested.

My Say:

On record, after Kurup was declared winner, he was punched by a member of the public and had to be escorted by police to his car. He had made a police report and that the country's top police officer had said that the `punching of Kurup' was one of the serious incident during the Feb 24, 2008 Nomination Day for the March 8, 2008 general elections.

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How many election petitions?

After the March 8, general elections several political leaders had openly declared that they would file petitions in the High Court seeking orders to nullify the nominations/results of several parliamentary and State constituencies.

The results of the 12th general elections had been gazetted on April 8, those leaders are now free to file their suits. According to the Election Commission, petitions must be filed not later than April 29, this year.

My Say:

The Kota Kinabalu MP seat was won by DAP's Dr Hiew King Cheu. Will Christina Liew of another opposition party Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) challenged Dr Hiew's victory? The DAP and PKR are both opposition parties and are coalition government in Perak, Selangor, Kedah, Penang and Kelantan.

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