All eight opposition motions thrown out
KUCHING: All the eight motions filed by five opposition members of the august House were dismissed at the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) yesterday.
A motion by Baru Bian ( PKRBa Kelalan) to seek leave to introduce a Private Member’s Bill on Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2017 was voted out after only 10 members agreed to grant leave while 58 disagreed.
Baru had explained to the august House that the bill’s objectives were to amend Section 2 of the Land Code and to spell out more clearly the definition of Native Customary Land which had been affirmed in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Federal Court.
DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar also rejected the seven other motions – two from David Wong ( DAPPelawan), one from Irene Chang ( DAP- Bukit Assek), three from Dr Ting Tiong Choon (DAP-Pujut) and one from Chong Chieng Jen ( DAP-Kota Sentosa).
Wong’s motions were for Sarawak to have bigger share of taxes collected nationwide and for Sarawak to have its own airline, while Chang’s motion was on the status of stateless children adopted by Sarawakians.
Dr Ting’s motions called for all official correspondence in the state to be bilingual, for government to implement appropriate fire safety regulations for shophouses built prior to the Sarawak Building Ordinance taking effect in Sarawak, and for the government to take steps to increase bus routes to airports, hospitals and other public facilities.
Chong’s motion was on the location of quarries viz- a-viz housing estate, whether there is a 600-metre buffer zone between the quarry and housing estate.
Asfia, in explaining his decision to dismiss the motions, also told the assemblypersons that they can bring up the matter during the debates on the Supply Bill 2017.