KUALA LUMPUR — Melalap assemblyman Datuk Peter Anthony will lose his seat in 14 days unless he can get his conviction for falsifying documents overturned, Sabah State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim Yahya said today.
Kadzim told reporters in Kota Kinabalu that a state assemblyman convicted of an offence by a federal court and who is sentenced to at least one year in prison or fined a minimum of RM2,000, will be automatically disqualified from holding office.
However, this provision, under Article 17(1)(e) of the state constitution, must also be read with other relevant sections of the state constitution, Kadzim added.
“As such, he has to exhaust all legal measures within the next 14 days or his seat will be automatically vacated,” the state assembly speaker said.
Peter began serving his prison sentence in Kajang Prison yesterday, after the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya upheld his conviction, three-year jail sentence and RM50,000 fine for falsifying documents.
The decision by the three-judge panel of the appellate court marked the end of his appeal bid as his case began in the Sessions Court.
The Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president was first sentenced on May 26, 2022 after he was found guilty of forging a letter for maintenance work at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
He was charged in his capacity as managing director of Syarikat Asli Jati Sdn Bhd with forging the letter to secure the contract in 2014.
Peter won the Melalap seat in 2018 and has been a two-term assemblyman for the constituency. He also served as former Sabah infrastructure development minister. – March 5, 2025