Mohamaddin Ketapi still Segama assemblyman, says Sabah speaker

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi is still the Segama assemblyman as the resignation letter purportedly sent on his behalf is not valid, says Sabah state assembly Speaker Datuk Kadzim M Yahya.

Kadzim said initially on Oct 30 that he had received a letter and statutory declaration via email from Mohamaddin as he was in Kuala Lumpur.

He said that Mohammadin had said in the email that he revoked all pledges made with Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) before the 2020 state elections.

"As we all know, Mohamaddin left Warisan on Oct 30. On Nov 1, my office received a letter from a law firm stating they were acting on behalf of Mohamaddin where he announced quitting as the elected representative of N61 Segama.

"But on Nov 2, my office received a letter from Mohamaddin's side denying signing the document on Oct 30 to resign from his assemblyman's post, and also denied appointing the law firm to file his resignation letter on his behalf," he told reporters in a press conference on Wednesday (Nov 17).

Kadzim said he had the chance to interview Mohamaddin face to face on Tuesday (Nov 16), where the latter attested to these statements again.

"During the interview, Mohamaddin said he never signed the assemblyman resignation letter on Oct 30, never appointed (the law firm) and that there was no reason for him to quit then announce leaving the party.

"If he wanted to surrender his assemblyman seat, there was no need to announce leaving the party, according to him.

"I accept Mohamaddin’s statement that he did not sign the resignation letter, and the signed letter was without a date.

"Based on the existing laws, the letter of resignation as state assemblyman is not valid, and Mohamaddin remains as Segama assemblyman," said Kadzim.

Previously, it was reported that Warisan had submitted a pre-signed resignation letter from Mohamaddin, who was also Lahad Datu Member of Parliament, to the state assembly Speaker’s office on Nov 1, following him leaving the party on Oct 30.

Warisan secretary-general Datuk Loretto Padua back then said the party’s lawyers would take necessary action once an elected representative quit the party as this was initially agreed upon.

Before this, Sebatik assemblyman Hassan A Gani Pg Amir and Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob, who left the party in February and October this year respectively, had also withdrawn their pre-signed letters through statutory declarations, and kept their seats.