SARAWAK DAP will continue with its plan to sue state Second Finance Minister Wong Soon Koh for alleging that Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon is a bankrupt. 

Wong, who is president of the United People’s Party (UPP), had moved the motion to dismiss Dr Ting at the Sarawak assembly on May 12 for allegedly having dual citizenship.

Asked if he would still continue with the suit, Dr Ting told The Malaysian Insight, “Yes. Pending advice from the legal team.”

Dr Ting is represented by lead counsel Chong Siew Chiang, Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei, Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong, Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang and state DAP secretary Alan Ling.

Siew Chiang is the father of state DAP leader Chong Chieng Jen and is one of the founding members of Sarawak DAP. 

The suit is separate from the one filed against Sarawak speaker Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar for disqualifying Dr Ting as an assemblyman. The High Court overturned the disqualification this morning.

The suit against Wong was for comments he made in the media room of the Sarawak Assembly on May 15, where he alleged that Dr Ting was a bankrupt in Australia. This was widely reported in the press. 

Privileged immunity is only granted for comments made inside the house.

Dr Ting had denied he was ever a bankrupt and had lodged a police report in Miri against Wong on June 3. 

He had said he would file a defamation suit against Wong after the Kuching High Court reached a decision on the legality of his dismissal. 

Dr Ting had issued a letter of demand to Wong to apologise for calling him a bankrupt. 

Wong refused, and lodged a police report of his own against Dr Ting for allegedly misleading the voters of Pujut regarding his citizenship status. 

Wong could not be reached for comment. – June 17, 2016.