Priscella takes over KDM as father heads to jail

Summary

• Priscella Peter will take over as KDM president after her father, Peter Anthony, begins his jail term, with Wetrom Bahanda as her deputy.

• KDM also maintains its stance of contesting the Sabah state election alone.

Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) deputy president Priscella Peter will reportedly be taking over her father Peter Anthony’s role as party president as the latter starts his jail term.

According to media reports, she will be assisted by another deputy president Wetrom Bahanda.

The proposal was reportedly made by Wetrom and was unanimously agreed during a supreme council meeting at the party’s headquarters in Penampang, Sabah, today.

“The decision was made with full agreement from all members. We had taken steps to prepare for any development, including matters related to the president’s case.

“Wetrom fully supports this decision. In fact, he was the one who proposed it,” Free Malaysia Today quoted KDM secretary-general Willie Jude as saying.

He reportedly added that the meeting also decided that the party will maintain its stance of contesting the upcoming Sabah state election without outside partners.

The party is currently aligned with the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition in the state assembly but is not a member of the coalition.

Wetrom, the Bandau assemblyperson, is the party’s only member in the assembly apart from Peter.

On Tuesday, the Court of Appeal denied Peter’s last-ditch appeal to set aside his three-year jail sentence and RM50,000 fine for document forgery and ordered him to begin serving his sentence.

The sentence means the Melalap assemblyperson is set to lose his state seat and will not be eligible to contest in the upcoming Sabah state polls this year.

Sabah legislative assembly speaker Kadzim M Yahya said Peter has 14 days to take any further legal action before his seat is automatically vacated.

Speaker: Peter Anthony has 14 days before being disqualified as Melalap rep

Peter Anthony goes to jail for forgery

Decision on Peter Anthony's final appeal for falsifying document