Asfia unfit to hold DUN Speaker’s post, says Chong

KUCHING: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has called for the resignation of Sarawak Legislative Assembly ( DUN) Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, stating that the latter is not fit to hold such a position in the august House.

This statement followed the dismissal of the appeals by the DUN Speaker and International Trade and E- Commerce Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh against the High Court’s ruling to reinstate Dr Ting Tiong Choon as Pujut assemblyman.

“Given the way that the DUN Speaker (Asfia) has acted, he ought to resign. The High Court and Court of Appeal have ruled that he misled the House by his own interpretation of the law (in disqualifying Dr Ting as assemblyman).

“I thought that an Assembly Speaker should act impartially, reasonably and sensibly,” Chong told reporters here yesterday.

In May last year, DUN Sarawak resolved to unseat Dr Ting following the overwhelming 70 votes from the then-Barisan Nasional ( BN) assemblymen in favour of a ministerial motion tabled by Wong, who sought to disqualify Dr Ting as an elected representative.

On June 17 last year, the High Court ruled against the DUN’s decision to disqualify Dr Ting as Pujut assemblyman when Judge Datuk Douglas Christo Primus Sikayun held that the plaintiff was not disqualified and was entitled to remain as an elected assemblyman.

Meanwhile Chong, who is also DAP Sarawak chairman, called on the current Sarawak government to stop questioning the legitimacy of Dr Ting’s status as Pujut assemblyman, and also to stop going further in appealing against the case as this would be ‘a waste of time and taxpayers’ money’.

It is said that Asfia and Chong had a heated exchange earlier during the DUN’s afternoon sitting yesterday, where the Speaker stopped Chong from giving his speech after congratulating Dr Ting in the House.