By Simon Peter
KUCHING, February 12, 2022- Padungan state assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has complained today that the Opposition state assemblymen have not received any Bills to be tabled in next week’s three-day sitting of the State Assembly.
He said basic principles of parliamentary democracy dictates that the elected state assemblymen must be given ample time to vet any bills to be tabled and do proper research before debating on such bills.
“With the sitting starting on Monday and debates on the bills to be on Tuesday and Wednesday, yet copies of the Bills not forwarded to the state assemblymen before the sitting, the GPS Government is depriving the state sufficient time to go through with the bills before the debates thereon start.
“Is the GPS government with its 76-seat majority now treating the State Assembly with such disdain and as rubber stamp of executive?
“With its super-majority of 76 seats, the GPS government can now easily bulldoze through whatever bills that it tables in the State Assembly without much hassle.
“Nonetheless, though the Opposition is now reduced to only six seats, the GPS government and the Speaker must show their respect to the institution of State Assembly of Sarawak by adopting the best practices of parliamentary democracy.
“We should not allow the arrogance of this majority to destroy the integrity and sanctity of the oldest legislative body in Malaysia,” he complained.
Chong, who is also Stampin MP, noted Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sri Karim Rahman Hamzah, had indicated yesterday that there would be some “interesting bills” to be tabled in the sitting, but that he declined to disclose the content of such bills.
“That means, copies of the bills are ready but that the government refused to give prior notice or more time to the state assemblymen to read the bills before the debates,” Chong, who is also the Sarawak DAP chairman, said.
The State Assembly will sit for three days, beginning on Monday, February 14, with the swearing in of the 82 state assemblymen.
The tabling on the bills will be on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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