Pandikar Amin Mulia

Early background

Pandikar Amin was born in a remote village in Kota Belud, Sabah to Bajau-Iranun farmer parents who were of poor backgrounds and started primary schooling in his hometown. Prior to going to England for tertiary education, he received education at Sabah College in Kota Kinabalu, a prestigious elite secondary school of the state. He was a graduate of Wolverhampton Polytechnic and Lincoln's Inn.{{cite web |url=https://www.malaysianbar.org.my/article/news/legal-and-general-news/general-news/a-real-winner-in-politics|title=A real winner in politics

Political career

USNO

Pandikar Amin entered politics in 1982 as a member of United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) and later picked as the Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentary candidate for Kota Belud in 1982 general elections but lost to an Independent candidate. At the age of 27, however he became Sabah state assemblyman for Usukan, holding for one term from 1982 to 1985. He was then later appointed the first non-MLA Speaker of Sabah State Legislative Assembly from 1986 to 1988.

AKAR

Pandikar with another fellow dissident United Sabah Party (PBS) comprising a few Dusun and Bajau ethnic-based leaders namely Mark Koding and Kalakau Untol formed the People's Justice Front (AKAR) in 1989. In 1999, he was appointed a Senator and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department until 2002. He was president of AKAR, a now-defunct Sabahan political party which joined as one of the Barisan Nasional component parties from Sabah, at that time. The party was then dissolved to enable its members to join the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 2002 where Pandikar-faction choice to join, meanwhile half of the AKAR members join PGRS in 2013 where Ationg Tituh-faction established.

UMNO and Speakership in the Dewan Rakyat

Pandikar, as a member of UMNO was elected again Sabah assemblyman from 2004 to 2008; for the Tempasuk seat in Kota Belud. After the 2008 general elections, the BN coalition government announced that Pandikar, a non-MP would be the new Speaker, replacing Ramli Ngah Talib.

The 12th Parliament was the first to be presided over entirely by East Malaysians; Pandikar and his deputies, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Ronald Kiandee, hail from either Sabah or Sarawak. In mid-May, after Parliament convened, Pandikar resigned as Kota Marudu UMNO divisional chief, citing the need to be a neutral, non-partisan presiding officer of the legislature. He denied his resignation was linked to possible party-switching amongst UMNO MPs from East Malaysia.

Ahead of the 2018 general elections, Pandikar announced his intention to contest, thus enable his possible prospect to be a more active federal-elected politician after serving as a non-MP Speaker for two terms. Somehow he was not picked as candidate to contest the elections that saw the downfall of BN in both the federal and state governments. Despite his appointment to the UMNO's supreme council later on 14 July 2018; he decided to quit UMNO on 12 December 2018 along with other Sabah UMNO assemblymen to be independents.

USNO Baru

Pandikar then later joined a newly revived Sabahan political party known as the USNO Baru and was appointed as the chairman of the party's Strategic Advisory Council in July 2019. He then contested the Pintasan state seat during the September 2020 Sabah state election under USNO Baru but he together with all the party's candidates in other state seats they contested were defeated in cornered fights with candidates from rival parties and/or coalitions. Pandikar was officially elected party president in February 2021 and remains in the position as of 2023, proceeds to became the main reason of the local political coalition, GRS accepting USNO Baru as a component member.

Election results

Honours

• Malaysia
  • [[File:Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia - PSM.svg|50px]] Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (PSM) – Tan Sri (2002)
  • [[File:Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia - SSM.svg|50px]] Companion of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (JSM) (1993)
• Federal Territory (Malaysia)
  • [[File:MY-FED Darjah Mahkota Wilayah - Grand Knight - SUMW.svg|50px]] Grand Knight of the Order of the Territorial Crown (SUMW) – Datuk Seri Utama (2009)
• Penang
  • [[File:MY-PEN Order of the Defender of State - Knight Grand Commander - DUPN (present).png|50px]] Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Defender of State (DUPN) – Dato' Seri Utama (2013)
• Sabah
  • [[File:MY-SAB Order of Kinabalu - SPDK.svg|50px]] Grand Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (SPDK) – Datuk Seri Panglima (2010)
  • [[File:MY-SAB Order of Kinabalu - PGDK.svg|50px]] Commander of the Order of Kinabalu (PGDK) – Datuk (1994)

References

References

1. (1 May 2008). "Baptism of fire for Speaker Pandikar Amin at first sitting". The Star.
2. (February 2016). "Political Handbook of the World 1998". Google eBookstore.
3. (1 April 2013). "Berakhirnya Akar Bersatu".
4. (26 April 2008). "MPs urged to follow the rules". The Malaysian Insider.
5. Vasudevan, V.. (28 April 2008). "A day of firsts in parliament". [[New Straits Times]].
6. (16 May 2008). "Pandikar Amin quits as Kota Marudu Umno chief". [[The Star Online]].
7. Dol, Clarence. (5 April 2017). "Pandikar returning to politics". Daily Express.
8. NEIL BRIAN JOSEPH. (13 December 2018). "Umno Sabah ship sinking". [[The Borneo Post]].
9. (1 July 2019). "Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia Kini Pengerusi Jemaah Penasihat Strategi Usno". Borneo Digest.
10. (16 September 2020). "Former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar seeks political comeback through Sabah polls with Usno Baru". Malay Mail.
11. (27 September 2020). "Sabah election: Party chiefs Anifah, Pandikar Amin, Wilfred defeated". The Malaysian Reserve.
12. (20 February 2021). "Pandikar returns to head Usno". Daily Express.
13. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri". [[Election Commission of Malaysia]].
14. "Sabah [Parliament Results]". The Star.
15. "14th General Election Malaysia (GE14 / PRU14) – Results Overview".
16. "N53 Senallang". [[Malaysiakini]].
17. "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 2002". Ceremonial Division and International Conference Secretariat, [[Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)]].
18. "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1993". Ceremonial Division and International Conference Secretariat, [[Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)]].
19. "Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Wilayah Persekutuan Tahun 2009". [[Ministry of Federal Territories (Malaysia).
20. . (26 August 2013). ["Pandikar Amin Dahului Senarai Penerima Darjah Kebesaran TYT Pulau Pinang"](https://www.mstar.com.my/lokal/semasa/2013/08/26/pandikar-amin-dahului-senarai-penerima-darjah-kebesaran-tyt-pulau-pinang).
21. (3 October 2010). "DPM heads Sabah TYT honours list". [[The Star (Malaysia).
22. "Pengurniaan Darjah Kebesaran Bergelar Bagi Tahun 1994 Mengikut Negeri.". [[Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)]].