DAP Sarawak roars

Proceedings in the Sarawak State Assembly has certainly turned lively with the emergence of the DAP 6 elected representitives.

The Sin Chew Jit Poh reported today that the 6 DAP representatives refused to wear the ceremonial dress, commonly known as No. 1 suit, while attending the opening ceremony of the assembly yesterday.

It has been the DAP policy not to wear the No. 1 suit which comes with a songkok. I have never wore one since 1995.

I had even protested when the invitation cards to attend the swearing in ceremony of Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar as the Selangor Menteri Besar at Alam Shah palace in 1997 stated, unprecedently, that all the guests were required to wear songkok. Upon my protest, the directive was withdrawn.

However, the palace had later imposed again the ruling after the present Sultan came to the throne. Since then, I had never attended any official functions that required the wearing of songkok.

Another incident in the Sarawak State Assembly meeting yesterday was the walkout staged by the DAP representatives after the ruling of the speaker that disallowed them to debate on the supplement supply bill, an additional allocation not approved during the yearly budget. The Star reported as follows:-

Unhappy DAP reps stage a walkout

SHARON LING at the Sarawak State Assembly on Monday

KUCHING: Speaker Datuk Mohd Asfia Awang Nasar disallowed debate on the Supplementary Supply (2005) Bill 2006 to seek approval for additional development expenditures, angering DAP assemblymen.

The Bill, tabled by Second Finance Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh, was later approved with objections from the opposition. The six DAP assemblymen then left the chamber.

Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen had earlier sought clarification on the payment of some RM2.4mil as consultancy fees, as contained in the command papers.

“No debate is allowed,” Asfia told him. Chong retorted: “Why are you covering up all these?

He said he wanted to know to whom and for what the consultancy fees were to be paid.

Speaking at a press conference after the walkout, Chong said he had filed a notice to debate on the Bill, alleging some “questionable and unaccountable spending”.

Expressing his party’s regret over the Speaker’s decision, which he described as “unfair and undemocratic”, Chong said: “We are allowed under the Standing Orders to debate on the supplementary Bill.”