Yusof Yacob still Sindumin assemblyman, says Sabah speaker
25 Oct 2021
By Ilona Andrew
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Dr. Yusof Yacob remains as Sindumin State Assemblyman and the seat did not fall vacant although he has left Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), said Sabah Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Kadzim Yahya.
He said, he received a phone call from Yusof the same day he left the party on Oct 8 and became an independent assemblyman that supports the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government, requesting a meeting with him at his office.
“The meeting was held on Oct 11 around 11.20am where Yusof submitted to me a Statutory Declaration (SD), declaring inter-alia, that he is revoking all the pledges he has made with Warisan before the 16th General Elections in 2020 took place. This includes, if any, a pledge to vacate the State Seat N.35 Sindumin should he leave Warisan.
“Subsequent to that, on Oct 15, I have received a letter from a legal firm claiming that Yusof appointed them. Attached with the letter is a resignation letter purportedly signed by Yusof and was purportedly dated Oct 8.
“Following the said purported letter of resignation which Yusof categorically denied having done so, Yusof submitted another SD dated Oct 16, declaring that inter-alia that he had never signed the purported resignation letter as submitted by the legal firm and that he had resigned his Sindumin seat via the resignation letter,” he explained in a statement today.
According to Kadzim, he has received three documents from Yusof and two documents from Warisan or its agent.
“To determine the status of the Sindumin seat, I am guided by the documents that had been submitted to me above, the meeting conducted on the Oct 11, the law as it now stands, and the case of Sebatik State Assemblyman which is similar in facts with the issue now at hand.
“Hence, Yusof is still the assemblyman for the State seat N.35 Sindumin.”
