Latest news with #SarawakAssembly
Free Malaysia Today
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Sarawak opposition leader booted from state assembly over seat increase row
Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen left the Sarawak state assembly after he refused to comply with the speaker's instruction to sit down during a backbencher's debate. PETALING JAYA : Sarawak opposition leader Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Padungan) was kicked out from the state assembly today for interrupting a backbencher's debate on a proposal to increase the number of state seats. Chong had stood up to interject while Lo Khere Chiang (GPS-Batu Kitang) was speaking. At the time, Lo had accused Chong and fellow opposition member Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) of opposing Sarawak's efforts to expand its parliamentary representation. Chong in turn accused Lo of lying as both he and Yong had said in their earlier debates that the priority should be to demand an increase in Sarawak's parliamentary seats, not in the state assembly. Chong maintained that both he and Yong would support any move to strengthen Sarawak's representation in the Dewan Rakyat. Speaker Asfia Awang Nassar told Chong to sit down after Lo had refused to yield to him on a point of order. Asfia said Lo was merely rebutting Chong's debate against increasing the number of assembly members earlier. Chong slammed the assembly rule book on his desk several times, demanding that he be heard on a point of order. Asfia asked him to be quiet, but Chong refused. 'If you continue to do this, I will send you out. That is it, I am sending you out,' the speaker said. The sergeant-at-arms was told to remove Chong forcibly, if needed. Chong packed up his belongings and left the chamber. Contacted later, Chong said it was unfair that a backbencher was allowed to raise a point of order and then launch into a diatribe against him. He also dismissed Lo's allegation that he did not want more Sarawak representation in Parliament. A special assembly sitting is being held today to debate the state government's proposal to increase the number of state seats from 82 to 99. Yong earlier described the move as being unfair, costly, and only meant to shore up support for the ruling state coalition. She also described the proposal as 'gerrymandering dressed up as reform', claiming that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak-led government was adding new seats only in areas it could win, rather than where they were needed based on voter numbers. Chong had also opposed the proposed increase in state assembly seats, saying Sarawak's large land area alone does not justify adding more assemblymen.
Free Malaysia Today
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Speaker quashes talk of more Parliament seats via S'wak assembly
The Sarawak legislative assembly will hold a special sitting on July 7. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Sarawak assembly speaker Asfia Awang Nassar has quashed rumours that the state government plans to increase the number of parliamentary and state seats in the state through a bill tabled in the legislative assembly. Asfia said changes to the number of parliamentary and state seats in Sarawak fell under the purview of the Election Commission, not the state assembly, The Borneo Post reported. 'The state assembly doesn't (have any say). It's the EC. It's a federal power. It's not the state assembly that creates (new constituencies),' he was quoted as saying. This follows a Dayak Daily report on rumours that the special Sarawak assembly sitting on July 7 would see the tabling of a bill to increase the number of parliamentary seats to 46 and state seats to 99. Sarawak currently has 31 parliamentary seats and 82 state seats. There has been a growing push for Sabah and Sarawak to be allocated one-third of the seats in Parliament, as per the Malaysia Agreement 1963. However, in November, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said the two East Malaysian states could only be given one-third of the Dewan Rakyat seats after the next general election. Asfia did not dismiss the possibility that the redelineation of parliamentary and state seats could be brought up at the special sitting, but maintained that any execution of this would come under the EC's jurisdiction. He also said he had yet to receive any bills from the state government. 'I have not received any bills yet. Once I receive the bill, I shall call for a press conference and brief (the media on) what this is all about,' he said.
