Dr Yusof is still Sindumin assemblyman, says Sabah Assembly Speaker

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 25 -- Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob is still Sindumin assemblyman although he no longer a member of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) after he quit the party on Oct 8, said Sabah Assembly Speaker Datuk Kadzim M Yahya.

Kadzim said he had received three documents from Dr Yusof and held a meeting with him on Oct 11, while Warisan or its agent had submitted two documents regarding the status of the Sindumin state seat.

“To determine the status of the seat, I am guided by the documents that had been submitted to me, the meeting conducted on Oct 11, the law as it now stands and the case of Sebatik assemblyman which is similar to the issue at hand.

“Hence, based on the above, although Dr Yusof is no longer a member of the political party, namely Warisan, the Sindumin state seat did not fall vacant … Dr Yusof is still the Sindumin assemblyman,” he said in a statement today.

Kadzim said among the documents he received in the meeting on Oct 11 were a statutory declaration from Dr Yusof declaring inter-alia, that he was revoking all pledges he had made with Warisan before the Sabah 16th elections held last year, including if any, a pledge to vacate the Sindumin state seat should he leave Warisan.

Dr Yusof, who was also the former Warisan information chief, quit the party to become an independent lawmaker in support of the Sabah government under Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

On Feb 25, Sebatik assemblyman, Hassan A Gani Pg Amir, also quit Warisan to become an independent lawmaker in support of the Sabah government under GRS and then on March 3, Kadzim announced that Hassan is still Sebatik assemblyman.

On April 7, Warisan filed a suit in the High Court against Hassan, seeking a decision to compel him to vacate the seat as pledged prior to the state election.

-- BERNAMA