SAPP wants two-term limit on Sabah governor restored

All political parties and candidates contesting in the coming Sabah state election should pledge to restore Article 2(3) of the Sabah State Constitution to limit the service of the Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri to two terms, said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee.

He said the article, passed in 1987 by the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) government, stated: "A person shall not hold office as the Yang Dipertua Negeri for more than two terms either continuously or otherwise."

He said the reason for this article is obvious, so that the chief minister of the day does not have to put up with a governor who expects or wishes to be reappointed beyond two terms.

"Each term is four years," he said in a statement here today.

Yong said that in December 2018, the term limit stipulated in Article 2(3) was abolished legally.

"It does not matter who the chief minister or who the TYT (governor) is; it is the office of the TYT that we must protect.

"It was not in the Parti Warisan Sabah or Pakatan Harapan or BN or Gabungan Sabah or any other party election manifesto that the two-term limit on the TYT post will be removed. Why then was the term limit removed?" Yong added.