S’wak DAP to file judicial review action against committee of privileges, speaker

KUCHING: Sarawak DAP will file a judicial review application to challenge the legality of the inquiry by the Committee of Privileges of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly against Padungan Assemblyman Wong King Wei.

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the decision was made at yesterday's state DAP committee meeting.

“The state DAP committee has resolved that we should go to the court to challenge the legality of the committee of privileges in conducting the inquiry.

“We are of the view that the Privileges Committee had sat unlawfully, therefore making the whole proceeding of the inquiry null and void.

“The State Assembly Speaker had also acted outside his power and unfairly in the whole act of referring Wong to the Privileges Committee,” he told a media conference after chairing the State DAP committee meeting here yesterday.

He said State Assembly Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar would also be named as a respondent in the judicial review action with the legal team to be led by Sarawak DAP advisor Chong Siew Chiang.

The judicial review application has to be filed within 40 days from the date of the inquiry by the Privileges Committee.

The Committee of Privileges held its inquiry on Feb 18 over Wong's remarks which were deemed as offensive, acrimonious and vitriolic against the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, the executive and its Speaker Datuk Amar Asfia Awang Nasa.

This followed Wong's speech at the state assembly sitting last Nov 12 where he was alleged to have of challenging the punctuality of the speaker in conducting the meetings. - Bernama