TEAR gas was deployed in Tenom, Sabah, today after the rejection of a prominent local leader’s nomination papers to contest in the polls for the seat saw widespread outcry from his supporters.
According to The Vibes, the Election Commission (EC) was advised against accepting Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) president Datuk Peter Anthony’s nomination as a Tenom candidate.
This was supposedly because of his recent court conviction, Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported, a decision which apparently incensed supporters of the former Warisan leader who were at the nomination centre with him.
As seen in viral videos making rounds online, folks waving the KDM flag eventually took to the streets outside Dewan DSP Antanom, which was used as the nominations centre, leading the police to erect a human barricade to stop them from going further.
However, this proved to be futile as the crowd eventually made their way to the nominations centre.
In response, the police fired a tear gas canister, causing the group to turn back as a result of the smoke.
In May this year, Anthony, a former Sabah infrastructure development minister, was found guilty of falsifying a letter on contract work for maintenance and service of the mechanical and electrical system at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
He was fined RM50,000 in default of 15 months in jail.
Article 48(1) of the Federal Constitution states that a person is disqualified as an MP or from contesting if they have been imprisoned for a term of not less than a year or fined not less than RM2,000.
Anthony’s sentence and conviction are on hold for now, however, pending disposal of his appeal.
At 2pm, the returning officer for Tenom announced that six application forms were received but only read out five names, with Anthony’s name left out; meaning that he is not contesting for the seat.
The other five, according to Malaysiakini, are incumbent MP Norita Sual from Pakatan Harapan, Ukin Buandi (Warisan), Jamawi Jaafar (Barisan Nasional) and two independents, Ridhuan Rubin and Peggy Chaw Zhi Ting. – Nov 5, 2022
