Sarawak Legislative Assembly is Another Mockery of Dun after Perak
By Teo Nie Ching
DAP strongly protest and criticize Barisan Nasional Sarawak Assemblymen for abusing and misusing the Privileges Committee and State Assembly procedure to suspend DAP state leader cum Bukit Assek elected representative Wong Ho Leng for 12 months from the Sarawak assembly starting 13 May 2009.
The mockery started with the Sarawak Supplementary Supply (2008) Bill 2008 where Wong Ho Leng was the only one taking part in the debate and the word “camouflage” was used. A motion was moved to refer Wong Ho Leng to the Privileges Committee.
During the hearing of the Privileges Committee on 12 December 2008, several of his fundamental rights were refused: –
a) He was not allowed to call witnesses;
b) His right to challenge the composition of the Barisan Nasional-controlled Privileges Committee was not allowed;
c) His right to public hearing was denied;
d) A copy of the affidavit of the mover of the motion, ie Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh, Minister of Finance II and Minister of Environment and Public Health, was not given to him before or during the hearing;
e) He was not given the opportunity to cross-examine Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh; and
f) He was not given a copy of the minutes of the proceedings of the select committee, hence his right to a revision was again, refused.
The Privileges Committee hearing was totally unfair, lacked transparency and oppressive.
Besides, the suspension violates an assemblyman’s right to speak without fear or favour as an elected representative of the people of Sarawak. It is ironic when no action was taken against a parliamentarian who used the word “bastard” in the August House while an assemblyman who used the word “camouflage” is suspended for 12 months.
At the same time, Chong Chieng Jen, DAP state assemblyperson for Kota Sentosa, faced an eminent threat to be suspended for the 2nd time, on the 4th day of his return from suspension. He was asked to substantiate his statement that “if the government had done a flood mitigation study in 2000, then the so-called Chinese experts engaged by SUPP in the year 2004 must be a lie”, or face breach of privileges proceedings, until he retracted the statement.
BN Sarawak elected representatives obviously fail to understand that democracy is not brute majority bullying minority. Democracy must also mean abidance by procedure and respect of the minority. DAP will fully support Wong Ho Leng to adopt legal action to challenge the undemocratic and abusive suspension.
Teo Nie Ching
Assistant Secretary of National Publicity Bureau-cum-Serdang MP
民主行动党全国副宣传秘书兼沙登国会议员张念群于2009年5月16日在八打灵再也发表的声明：
民主行动党强烈抗议和批评国阵砂拉越州议员，滥用特权委员会和州议会，禁足使用“隐瞒”字眼的民主行动党砂拉越州主席兼武吉阿瑟州议员黄和联出席州议会12个月。
砂州国阵的滥权于去年12月12日的砂州特权委员会听证会上就清晰可见。当天，黄和联的数项基本权利都被剥夺：-
一、他不被允许传召其他4名砂州行动党州议员为他的证人；
二、砂州特权委员会由国阵州议员掌控；
三、黄和联要求公开听证会，但这项要求也被拒绝；
四、砂州特权委员会在砂州第二财政部长兼州公共卫生及环境部长拿督斯里黄顺舸的动议下对黄和联展开侦讯，但是黄顺舸的宣誓书却从未转交一份与黄和联；
五、黄和联也不被允许盘问黄顺可；
六、特权委员会的侦讯记录并未交给黄和联审核修订。
一言蔽之，砂州特权委员会的听证会是缺乏公平、透明和可信度的。
砂州议会禁足黄和联的决定是不可理喻的。相对起国阵国会议员在国会使用“杂种”的字眼却能全身而退完全没受到对付，黄和联却因使用“隐瞒”二字而遭禁足12个月，由国阵控制的砂议会无疑继霹雳州议会后成为了另一个全国笑话。
与此同时，行动党古晋市区国会议员兼哥打圣淘沙州议员张健仁在他回到砂州议会的第4天就第二次面临禁足的威胁，直至他撤销该言论。
国阵砂拉越州议员显然不明白民主不是多数欺凌少数的蛮力。民主还必须意味着遵守程序和尊重少数。民主行动党将全力支持黄和联采取法律行动，挑战这不民主和被滥用的禁足令。
张念群
全国副宣传秘书兼沙登国会议员
