TUARAN: The State Assembly Office has been notified by Melalap assemblyman Datuk Peter Anthony’s legal team regarding his application for a royal pardon, said Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M Yahya.
He said Peter has until March 18 to submit the application, as per Article 17(1)(e) of the Sabah Constitution.
This provision states that an assemblyman sentenced to at least a year in prison or fined RM2,000 or more will automatically lose their seat unless pardoned.
“We have requested a formal notification from his lawyers,” he said when met at the state-level Madani Iftar event here on Saturday.
“If the filing date is before March 18, then he is still within the 14-day period.”
The Court of Appeal had upheld Peter’s conviction and three-year jail sentence for forging a Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor’s letter for fraudulent purposes 11 years ago.
Since the offence was committed in Putrajaya, a pardon must come from the King of Malaysia.
Kadzim stressed that the ruling on Peter’s status would be made only after verifying whether the pardon application was filed within the constitutional timeframe.
“We must check the filing date. If it falls within the 14-day limit, he remains an assemblyman while the process unfolds.
“Otherwise, the seat is vacated automatically,” he said.
He also urged for fairness in handling the matter.
“Give him the time. They have informed us that this is their last application, so we will wait,” he said.
He said the State Assembly Office expects to receive a copy of the application by Monday or Tuesday.