Peter Anthony’s Appeal Against Forgery Conviction Postponed to January 9

Court of Appeal Delays Decision on Melalap Assemblyman’s Final Appeal

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has postponed its decision on Melalap assemblyman Peter Anthony’s final appeal against his forgery conviction, originally set for Wednesday, to January 9.

Reason for Postponement Remains Unclear

A text message from the media unit of the Federal Court chief registrar’s office confirmed the postponement today but did not specify the reason. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s legal and prosecution division director, Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, who is the lead prosecutor in the case, also confirmed the deferment.

Court of Appeal Bench Concluded Proceedings in August

The Court of Appeal bench hearing the appeal, chaired by Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and also including Justices Zaini Mazlan and Azmi Ariffin, had concluded its proceedings in August and scheduled its decision for Wednesday.

Peter Anthony’s Background and Conviction

Peter, the Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat president, was convicted of forging a letter from the office of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah deputy vice-chancellor for fraudulent purposes when he was a former managing director of Asli Jati Sdn Bhd. He committed the offence at the office of the late Azlin Alias, principal private secretary to then prime minister Najib Razak, between June 13 and August 21, 2014, at the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya.

Sentence and Appeal

He was sentenced to three years in prison and fined RM50,000 by the Kuala Lumpur sessions court under Section 468 of the Penal Code in 2022. The conviction was upheld by the High Court last year. Peter risks losing his Sabah state assembly seat if he loses the appeal unless he is pardoned by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong since the offence was committed in Putrajaya.

Consequences of Losing the Appeal

Article 17(1) of the Sabah constitution states that an assemblyman will be disqualified if he or she has been convicted of an offence with a jail term of one year or more and a fine of RM2,000 or above. If Peter loses the appeal, he may be forced to vacate his seat as an assemblyman.

Conclusion

The postponement of the decision on Peter Anthony’s appeal against his forgery conviction means that the fate of his political career remains uncertain. The outcome of the appeal will have significant consequences for Peter and the people of Sabah.