Article
Datuk Peter Anthony Has 14 Days to Take Legal Action Before Being Automatically Disqualified as Melalap Assemblyman
Kota Kinabalu, March 5 (Bernama) – Datuk Peter Anthony has 14 days to take any legal action before being automatically disqualified as the Melalap assemblyman.
Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction and Sentence
State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Kadzim M. Yahya announced that the 14-day period began yesterday, following the Court of Appeal’s upholding of the conviction and sentence against the assemblyman for document forgery. "It’s now up to him to exhaust it within the 14 days. If he has exhausted all legal avenues within that period, his seat will be vacated automatically," he told a press conference here today.
Court of Appeal’s Ruling
Yesterday, the Court of Appeal upheld Peter’s conviction, three-year jail sentence, and fine of RM50,000 handed down by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in May 2022 for falsifying documents related to a maintenance and service contract at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) 11 years ago.
Article 17(1)(e) of the Sabah State Constitution
According to Article 17(1)(e) of the Sabah State Constitution, any assemblyman convicted by a court in the Federation and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than one year or fined not less than RM2,000 will lose eligibility as an assemblyman. However, this provision must be read together with other related provisions under the Sabah State Constitution concerning the disqualification of a state assemblyman, Kadzim added.
BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow BERNAMA on Social Media
Facebook: @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter: @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram: @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok: @bernamaofficial
Conclusion
Datuk Peter Anthony has 14 days to take any legal action before being automatically disqualified as the Melalap assemblyman. The Court of Appeal’s upholding of his conviction and sentence for document forgery has set in motion the process for his disqualification. The status of the Melalap assemblyman will be decided once all relevant legal provisions have been fulfilled.
FAQs
Q: What is the next step for Datuk Peter Anthony?
A: Datuk Peter Anthony has 14 days to take any legal action before being automatically disqualified as the Melalap assemblyman.
Q: What is the reason for his disqualification?
A: He was convicted by the Court of Appeal for document forgery and sentenced to a three-year jail term and fine of RM50,000.
Q: What is the provision that will lead to his disqualification?
A: Article 17(1)(e) of the Sabah State Constitution states that any assemblyman convicted by a court in the Federation and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than one year or fined not less than RM2,000 will lose eligibility as an assemblyman.