With S’wak DUN sitting reduced to five days, Pending rep hopes ample time still given for speeches and debates

Violet Yong. – Photo by Roystein Emmor

KUCHING (Nov 6): Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong hopes that the opposition members would be given ample time to present their speeches and debates now that the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) has been reduced from eight to five days.

The Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) elected rep said she was even willing to go overtime during the sitting past its regular adjournment time of 6.30pm, as long as she could get her message across for the sake of her constituents.

“If the time is very limited, shortened by the speaker (Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar), we have no choice but to comply.

“But to me that is very unfair to the people of Sarawak, in particular voters in my constituency. But I hope that the speaker can allocate sufficient time for us and try not to cut short our speech delivery time.

“If they try to confine the sitting to five days then extend the (sitting) hours to the night, we don’t mind because each year we only have two sittings.

“Perhaps this will be the last sitting we have before the next state election,” Violet said after undergoing the mandatory Covid-19 swab test prior to the Nov 9 DUN sitting at the DUN Complex here this morning.

She was commenting on the announcement by Asfia yesterday that the DUN sitting will be shortened to Nov 9 to Nov 13 instead of Nov 9 to Nov 18.

He said ministerial speeches would be excluded from this sitting, with Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to wind up on behalf of all the ministries.

He however assured that ample time would be allocated for debate and the question and answer session.

Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, said the shortening of the DUN sitting would not affect the tabling his motion to set up a special select committee to oversee and supervise the operation and management of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros), which he submitted on Monday.

“There shouldn’t be any problem if the state government wishes to have more transparency in the management of the state oil and gas resources.

“There shouldn’t be any problem for the motion to be tabled and for the special select committee to be formed,” said the Kota Sentosa assemblyman.

Chong argued that while the state government was willing to cut short the DUN sitting due to Covid-19 concerns, it should also show the same concern by not insisting on having the state election this year.

“On one hand, DUN sitting has been cut short because of Covid-19. On the other hand, GPS also insists on setting its mind to proceed with the state election this year.

“If it’s not safe for us to have an eight-day sitting, how safe is it for almost 3 million Sarawakians all over the state to have the state election? I think the state government should not be thinking that the lives of the YBs are more valuable than the lives of ordinary Sarawakians,” he said.

Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) vice president Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa said he and other party assemblymen have no issue with the shortened DUN sitting.

“I received the notification (shortened DUN sitting) by email yesterday. We were supposed to have our DUN sitting from Nov 9 till 18.

“But it has been shortened because of Covid-19 pandemic. But to us (PSB) no problem,” said the Engkilili assemblyman.

The post With S’wak DUN sitting reduced to five days, Pending rep hopes ample time still given for speeches and debates appeared first on Borneo Post Online.

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