Gerawat rubbishes claim Land Code debate date deliberately moved

THE ALLEGATION by PKR Sarawak publicity officer Vernon Kedit that State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar deliberately shifted the date for the tabling of the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018 has been described as “completely misconceived and mischievous.”

DUN Deputy Speaker Dato Gerawat Gala made the remark yesterday when rubbishing Vernon’s claim on Tuesday that the date was shifted to prevent Baru Bian ( PKR-Ba Kelalan) and Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa) from debating the Bill.

He said the four bills – Supplementary Supply ( 2017) Bill 2018, Supplementary Supply ( 2018) Bill 2018, Oil Mining (Amendment) Bill 2018 and Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018 were all set for tabling on the second day of the DUN sitting on July 10 in the said order.

“All these four bills were read for the first reading on July 10.

“However, the first three bills took the whole of July 10.

“The debate on the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018 has been set on July 11 of which YB Tuan Baru Bian, Minister for Works, Malaysia and YB Tuan Chong Chieng Jen, Deputy Minister KPDNKK have notice.”

Gerawat said that both Baru and Chong had, however, sought leave from the Speaker to absent themselves from the DUN sitting for July 11 on which date the debate on the Land Code (Amendment) Bill had been fixed.

“It is up to YB Tuan Baru Bian and YB Tuan Chong Chieng Jen, as members of parliament and state assemblymen, to decide their priority.

“They can always take leave from the Cabinet meeting or any other meetings in KL on July 11 in order to attend the DUN meeting to debate the Land Code (Amendment) Bill if they decide to give priority to the Land Code ( Amendment) Bill,” he said, adding the DUN order of the day cannot be changed to accommodate the convenience of any particular DUN member.

Baru and Chong were away yesterday attending the federal cabinet meeting and missed debating the Land Code (Amendment) Bill 2018.

The Bill, which seeks to give the native customs of ‘ pemakai menoa’ and ‘pulau galau’ the force of law, has yet to be passed in the DUN.