KUCHING, Aug 21: Sarawak Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) women welcomed the decision of the Kota Kinabalu High Court to reject former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman and 32 other state assembly members’ judicial review application challenging the decision of the Sabah Governor to dissolve the Sabah State Assembly.
“This move will allow Sabah’s political power to return to the people of Sabah instead and it is in line with the basic principles of democracy in Malaysia,” said its Kuching women chief Cherishe Ng.
Ng emphasized that the political future of Sabah should be decided by the people of Sabah, and not by individual state assembly members.
“This practice of establishing backdoor governments by party-hopping parliamentary members or state assembly members is in violation of the people’s will and the basic spirit of democracy.
“Indeed, the people of Malaysia and Sabah could only watch as democratically elected governments fell. The people feel powerless,” said Ng in a statement today.
She stressed that politicians from both sides, whether it be the federal or state governments in Malaysia, government or opposition, should make more in-depth consideration to conform to the spirit of democracy which include the establishment, development and operation of a democratically-elected government.
“The political instability caused by party-hoping politicians and backdoor governments must cease at once. If after every federal and state election, there is an unhealthy trend of buying out politicians and party-hopping, with political parties being keen to establish backdoor governments, then what is the point of an election in the first place?”
The Kota Kinabalu High Court’s decision is now a clear indication that Sabah’s state election will commence as scheduled – with the nomination day fixed on Sept 12 and polling day fixed on Sept 26.
The Sabah High Court here has dismissed the judicial review application by Musa Aman and 32 assemblymen on the decision by Sabah Governor Tun Juhar Mahiruddin to dissolve the Sabah state assembly.
Judicial Commissioner Leonard David Shim struck out the application on the grounds that the court had no justiciability to hear and decide on the case. With the decision, Sabah will be going to the polls on September 26.—DayakDaily
