IN A rare move, the Sarawak legislative assembly had to reject a question to be put to the government during the assembly’s year-end budget session next month.

Assembly Speaker Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar said of the 372 questions received, the question from Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian – who is also the Works Minister and PKR Sarawak chief – had to be rejected on “technical grounds”.

In legislative debate “you cannot ask a question to ascertain the veracity of a question as reported in the media,” Asfia said in a press conference after the Gabungan Parti Sarawak pre-council meeting in Kuching today.

“You do not need to mention the name of a person where it is not necessary to do so,” he added, going on to say the question must also not cast aspersions on the person.

Aside from tabling of the state’s 2020 budget, the 11-day sitting from November 4 to 13 will also see the government tabling two bills to amend exiting ordinances: the Natural Resources and Environment Ordinance, 1993 (to increase the penalty to make it an effective deterrent) and the Sarawak State Library Ordinance 1999.

Three new bills will also be tabled: laws on strata titles, strata management and Sarawak heritage.

DAP Padungan assemblyman Wong king Wei will have to sit out this sitting as he is still serving his one-year suspension for accusing Asfia of not being impartial during last year’s assembly meeting.

Wong was referred to the committee of privileges, which found his conduct unacceptable and recommended to the assembly that he be punished with a 12-month suspension. – October 24, 2019.