Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Yong Teck Lee has applied for a royal pardon from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri in a bid to keep the Gaya parliamentary and Likas state seats, according to a Bernama report today.

The former Sabah chief minister sent a petition to Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur today and another to the Istana Negeri in Kota Kinabalu two days ago.

Yong was quoted as saying there had been a "miscarriage of justice" and the Election Court judge who found him guilty was biased and considered totally irrelevant factors.

"None of the evidence was linked to me personally...the consequent punishment was grossly unfair and manifestly unjust.

"There was no offence concerning phantom voters or bribery of voters at all found against me," he told reporters when met at the Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur today.

Earlier, Yong met Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tun Dr Mohamed Zahir Ismail to brief him on the action he had taken.

On June 8 last year, Election Court Judge Muhammad Kamil Awang declared the March 1999 election results for the Likas seat null and void after finding Yong guilty of committing several election offences.

On Sept 3 this year, the Federal Court rejected Yong's application for leave to appeal against the decision.

The Federal Court decision meant that Yong would lose his seats 14 days after the ruling.

On Saturday, Election Commission deputy chairperson Abdullah Zawawi Mohamed confirmed that Yong would lose the Gaya seat tomorrow as provided for by the law. He said a by-election would be called within 60 days of the seat falling vacant.

Remain as MP

However, Mohamed Zahir told reporters today that Yong would remain as an MP until the Pardons Board made its decision.

"To my mind, he can remain a member of the Dewan Rakyat and attend sittings," he said.

"Today, he filed a petition for a pardon, and I think Yong should inform the Election Commission (EC) of his initiative, and it's not the Dewan Rakyat which should give notice," he added.

Meanwhile, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail said he would meet the EC first before commenting on the latest development.

"Let me have a meeting with the Election Commission first. I have no comment at the moment," he told reporters at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport before leaving for Kuala Lumpur.

Gani was asked if there was a provision under the law that allows Yong to seek a royal pardon after being found quilty of committing corrupt ractice under the Election Offences Act.

Asked when the meeting with the EC would be held, Gani said: "Let's have a look at things in a proper way."

"There are always legal aspects to be dealt with and so on," he said.