PADUNGAN assemblyman Wong King Wei of DAP was today suspended for a year from the Sarawak legislative assembly for making “offensive, acrimonious and vitriolic” remarks against the Speaker during the November sitting last year.

State lawmakers voted on the privileges committee’s recommendation to suspend Wong, with 64 Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) reps supporting the suspension and nine out of 10 Pakatan Harapan reps opposing it.

Wong’s suspension takes effect from today.

The Sarawak assembly has 82 members.

Sarawak Tourism, Art, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Abdul Karim Hamzah, who tabled the recommendation to suspend, said Wong was guilty of breaching his parliamentary privileges by making those remarks against Speaker Mohd Asfia Awang Nasser.

The committee met to hear the complaints on February 18.

Wong, in his defence today, said the remarks he had made against Asfia were “trivial” and that they were meant as “constructive criticism”.

Wong made the remarks when speaking on the need to reform the state assembly when debating the Supply Bill (2019) last November.

He said the assembly was “wasting its time” listening to a motion aimed at “saving the face of the Speaker”.

“How many members actually remember what I actually said?” Wong said.

“Ask your conscience before you vote me out. What is so serious about what I said? What have I done to deserve a 12-month suspension?”

Wong said there is no justification for the suspension, which amounted to one-fifth of his term, is tantamount to  “usurping his voice and the voice of the Padungan people” in the assembly.

Wong accused Asfia of being unable to accept criticism and of using him as a “scapegoat to show that he is untouchable”.

Saying Asfia had “overstayed his welcome”, he earlier called for Asfia to be removed as the Speaker, who he called a stumbling block to reform. – April 30, 2019.