Media Statement by Teo Nie Ching in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, 16^th May 2009:

Sarawak Legislative Assembly is another mocketry of DUN after Perak

DAP strongly protest and criticize Barisan Nasional Sarawak Assemblymen for abusing and misusing the Privileges Committee and State Assembly procedure to suspend DAP state leader cum Bukit Assek elected representative Wong Ho Leng for 12 months from the Sarawak assembly starting 13 May 2009.

The mockery started with the Sarawak Supplementary Supply (2008) Bill 2008 where Wong Ho Leng was the only one taking part in the debate and the word “camouflage” was used. A motion was moved to refer Wong Ho Leng to the Privileges Committee.

During the hearing of the Privileges Committee on 12 December 2008, several of his fundamental rights were refused: -

a) He was not allowed to call witnesses;

b) His right to challenge the composition of the Barisan Nasional-controlled Privileges Committee was not allowed;

c) His right to public hearing was denied;

d) A copy of the affidavit of the mover of the motion, ie Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh, Minister of Finance II and Minister of Environment and Public Health, was not given to him before or during the hearing;

e) He was not given the opportunity to cross-examine Dato’ Sri Wong Soon Koh; and

f) He was not given a copy of the minutes of the proceedings of the select committee, hence his right to a revision was again, refused.

The Privileges Committee hearing was totally unfair, lacked transparency and oppressive.

Besides, the suspension violates an assemblyman’s right to speak without fear or favour as an elected representative of the people of Sarawak. It is ironic when no action was taken against a parliamentarian who used the word “bastard” in the August House while an assemblyman who used the word “camouflage” is suspended for 12 months.

At the same time, Chong Chieng Jen, DAP state assemblyperson for Kota Sentosa, faced an eminent threat to be suspended for the 2nd time, on the 4th day of his return from suspension. He was asked to substantiate his statement that “if the government had done a flood mitigation study in 2000, then the so-called Chinese experts engaged by SUPP in the year 2004 must be a lie”, or face breach of privileges proceedings, until he retracted the statement.

BN Sarawak elected representatives obviously fail to understand that democracy is not brute majority bullying minority. Democracy must also mean abidance by procedure and respect of the minority. DAP will fully support Wong Ho Leng to adopt legal action to challenge the undemocratic and abusive suspension.

* DAP National Publicity Bureau