Sarawak-based Parti Aspirasi has named nine candidates for the Sabah election

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 13 2025: Parti Aspirasi Rakyat Sarawak (Parti Aspirasi) has named its nine candidates to contest in the November 29 Sabah state election.

Caption: Parti Aspirasi president Lina Soo (wearing red shirt) with the candidates.

Its president Lina Soo said that the decision follows extensive grassroots engagement that reveals a growing sentiment among disillusioned voters who are weary of decades of neglect, broken promises, and mismanagement by successive administrations.

“There is a clear yearning among the people of Sabah for genuine hope and change,”  she said in a statement posted on her Facebook account, today.

 “The people of Sabah are looking for hope — and we are here to give them that hope,” she asserted after presenting Letters of Authorisation to use the party’s symbol to nine potential candidates yesterday.

The candidates are: Johanes bin Sakian - Matunggung (N.5); Norman bin Tulang - Bandau (N.6); Sylvester Molukun @ Sylvester Chin - Kepayan (N.25); Richard Jimmy Majaing @ Dolly Yapp - Moyog (N.26); Yakub bin Wahid - Pantai Manis (N.29); Bainun bin John @ B. Nick Steyward - Sindumin (N.25); Yasheer bin Yakub - Sulabayan (N.64);  Bakri bin Arolah - Senallang (N.65) and Maulana bin Unding - Bugaya (N.66).

Soon said the party’s political struggle in the 17^th Sabah election will be centred on the sovereignty and existential identity of the state.

“Sabah is a component nation — a negara — within the Federation of Malaysia,” Soo emphasised.

“Parti Aspirasi’s core election manifesto is to defend and reclaim the sovereignty of Negara Sabah, as guaranteed under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Constitution of Sabah annexed to it.”

Citing the Constitution of Sabah, Part I, Article 1(1), which states that “there shall be a Head of State for Sabah to be called the Yang di-Pertua Negara”, she added this provision clearly demonstrates Sabah’s political status as a Negara within the Malaysian Federation.

She also welcomed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s decision not to appeal the 40 per cent special grant entitlement due to Sabah for the past 48 years.

She described this as “a long-overdue acknowledgment of the major economic injustice Sabah has endured under past federal administrations, which has severely obstructed the state’s development.”

However, Soo points out that there are more than ten major breaches of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 that remain unresolved and must be addressed urgently if Sabah is to progress as an equal partner and nation within Malaysia in the 21st century.

“The constitutional and legitimate platform to address these injustices done to Sabah is the Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN),” said Soo.

“Parti As[irasi will expose more of these violations of MA63 in the Sabah Legislative Assembly. We therefore seek to send the party’s representatives to the legislative assembly to reclaim Sabah’s territorial and economic sovereignty, which has long been eroded by previous administrations.”

Soo urged the people of Sabah to vote wisely in the election, reminding them that an election is not just about giving any political party a chance to govern — but about wisely casting their votes with intelligence for a brighter and more prosperous future for them and Sabah.

Ewon says the 40 per cent revenue entitlement will be affected if CoA finds defects on reasons for judgment

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 12 2025: United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) president Ewon Benedict has argued that the overall decision of the Kota Kinbalau High Court on the 40 per cent revenue entitlement to Sabah could be seen as having been affected if the Court of Appeal decides that some of the findings of the High Court are wrong. 

Ewon Benedict: No appeal, but will appeal the Judgment Reasons. It is still an appeal. 

He added the basis of the grounds and findings of the High Court are closely linked and inseparable.

“Although the AGC states that it respects the principle of Special Grant based on the 40 per cent rights, if the Court of Appeal overturns the entire judgment of the High Court, then the decision recognising the rights over the 40 per cent entitlement will also be null and void,” Ewon said in a statement posted on his Facebook.

He was responding to a statement issued by the federal Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) that the federal government would not appeal against the decision of the Kota Kinabalu High over the 40 per cent entitlement of the revenue derived from Sabah.

However, the AGC had said the federal government would appeal the defects in the reasons for judgment.

Commenting further on the AGC’s statement, Ewon said:”An appeal is an appeal.

“No appeal, but will appeal the Judgment Reasons. It is still an appeal,” he contended.

Ewon stressed that that AGC’s position and views in the Judicial Review proceedings hastened his resignation as the federal minister, saying that the AGC's statement "justifies" the reason for his resignation on grounds of principle.

“I expect that a Notice of Appeal will be filed in the Court of Appeal on the grounds as stated by the AGC,” he added.

In a statement issued immediately after the special cabinet meeting yesterday, the AGC said that the federal government had decided not to appeal the Special Grant based on 40 per cent of revenue entitlement to Sabah.

At the meeting, the  AGC provided advice and views to the Cabinet regarding the defects in the reasons for judgment.

Among them are the allegations that the federal government and the Sabah state government have abused their power and violated their constitutional obligations since 1974.

“In addition, the reasons for judgment also stated that the review after 2021 is unlawful, irrational, procedurally irregular and disproportionate.

“The federal government will appeal the defects in the reasons for judgment,” the AGC said.

On Oct 17, the High Court ordered the federal and Sabah governments to review the 40 per cent special grant entitlement for 1974-2021, giving them 90 days to complete the review and 180

days to reach a final agreement.

The judge made the ruling after allowing the Sabah Law Society’s (SLS) application for a judicial review, which contended that both the federal and Sabah governments had breached their constitutional duties by failing to legally review the payments.

The case centred on the interpretation of Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution. Article 112C deals with special grants and the assignment of revenue to Sabah and Sarawak, while Article 112D provides for periodic reviews of these grants

 

Upset DBKU to lodge police report against three disrespectful individuals

KUCHING, Nov 12 2025: Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) is pissed off with three individuals with  their “disrespectful” and “indecent” behaviours of climbing street sign structures and lamp posts.

Their behaviours were video-recorded with handphone camera and posted on TikTok and has caught the attention of the city hall.

“A police report will be filed against the individuals for further investigation under the law relating to public order,” said a statement issued by the city hall.

It said it such behaviour is considered a serious violation of public decency and morality and will not be compromised.

The statement said such actions were serious as they not only endanger personal safety, but can also damage public property and tarnish the image of Kuching City.

“Therefore, DBKU would like to remind the public that the act of pasting any material such as stickers, posters and so on on street signs without permission is an offence under By-law 22(1)(b), Local Authorities (Cleanliness) By-laws, 1999.

“Anyone found guilty of this offence may be charged under the By-Law 22(2) and if convicted, may be fined RM1,500 and an additional fine of RM3,000.00 for subsequent offences or imprisonment for nine months for each subsequent offence,” the statement warned.

The statement said DBKU advises the public to always maintain good behaviour and respect public facilities for the sake of common well-being.

“The cooperation of all parties is highly expected in ensuring that Kuching City remains prosperous, clean, safe and habitable,” the statement said.

 

 

 

 

Senior lawyer expresses doubt if Sabah can get the 40 per cent entitlement

KUCHING, Nov 11 2025: Senior lawyer Voon Lee Shan has expressed his doubts if the Sabah government can get the 40 per cent entitlement of the revenue derived from the state.

Voon Lee Shan: The sums owed to Sabah could run into tens of trillions of ringgit
 

“If the federal government chooses not to appeal and not to pay, can Sabah government file for recovery of the sum owed?” he asked in a statement in response to the decision by the federal government not to appeal on the 40 per cent revenue ruling by the Kota Kinabalu High Court.

“Legal technicalities may arise. The suit was filed by the Sabah Law Society (SLS), not by Sabah govenment.

“The federal government may argue only SLS can go for recovery of sums owed but can SLS get it?

“I doubt because likely the court will not allow it,” Voon, who is also Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president, said tonight.

He said that the argument will be that SLS is not the government but “you can only get the declaration or judgment by the court that Sabah is entitled to the 40 per cent under the Federal Constitution. That's all.”

He also expressed his doubtful that SLS can enforce the judgment by writs of seizure and sale.

“It is doubtful the court will allow you to seize and sell assets that belong to the government to satisfy the sums owed to Sabah,” he said, adding:”To do so will paralyse the functions of the government.”

He said the government can collapse because once assets like government buildings in Putrajaya are being seized for sale under court order to satisfy the judgment sum, how and where government servants have to work.

“The sums owed to Sabah could run into tens of trillions of ringgit,” Voon said.

He reminded that the federal government is controlled by Malaya, may amend the Federal Constitution to deprive or reduce Sabah 40 per cent entitlement.

He said the federal government may seek to negotiate and tell the Sabah govenment not to pursue or support SLS in this claim,” Voon said.

He said although the federal government has until Nov 15 to file an appeal against the Kota Kinabalu High’s judgment, it is likely that the federal government will not appeal now because of the impact it would cause to the Sabah and federal governments in the state election.

He said there is nothing to prevent the federal government to choose to get leave to appeal after election is over.

“Given the fact that this is an important case that concerns the life or survival of the federation, leave for extension of time will likely be granted by the court to allow the federal government or Attorney General Chambers (AGC) to appeal after the Sabah election is over,” he suggested.

In a statement earlier tonight, the  AGC said the federal government will not appeal against the decision of the Kota Kinabalu High over the 40 per cent entitlement of the revenue derived from Sabah.

However, the federal government will appeal the defects in the reasons for judgment.

A special cabinet meeting this afternoon discussed the court’s judgment regarding the Sabah state special grant decided in the Judicial Review Application filed by the Sabah Law Society against the Malaysian government.

The AGC said that while the federal government respects the principle of the special grant based on 40 percent of revenue as provided for under the Federal Constitution, he provided advice and views to the Cabinet regarding the defects in the reasons for judgment.

“Among them are the allegations that the federal government and the Sabah state government have abused their power and violated their constitutional obligations.

“This claim will involve the federal government and the Sabah state government since 1974.

“In addition, the reasons for judgment also stated that the review after 2021 is unlawful, irrational, procedurally irregular and disproportionate.

“The federal government will appeal the defects in the reasons for judgment,” the statement said.

On Oct 17, the High Court ordered the federal and Sabah governments to review the 40 per cent special grant entitlement for 1974-2021, giving them 90 days to complete the review and 180

days to reach a final agreement.

The judge made the ruling after allowing the Sabah Law Society’s (SLS) application for a judicial review, which contended that both the federal and Sabah governments had breached their constitutional duties by failing to legally review the payments.

The case centred on the interpretation of Articles 112C and 112D of the Federal Constitution. Article 112C deals with special grants and the assignment of revenue to Sabah and Sarawak, while Article 112D provides for periodic reviews of these grants