KUCHING: Sixteen questions and 20 supplementary questions were answered by a minister and assistant ministers during the question-and-answer session of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.
All of them came from Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives except for five posed by See Chee How (PKR-Batu Lintang) and Fong Pau Teck (IND-Pujut).
The one-hour session went well without bickering while the only minister taking questions was Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, who replied on behalf of the chief minister.
Fong asked the chief minister about the number of Bangladeshi and Indonesian workers in the state. After Jabu responded to his question, Fong further queried how many out of the numbers provided were illegal workers.
Maintaining his cool, Jabu said the figures he told the House were based on the records of the Immigration Department, which would not indicate the number of those entering the state illegally.
When pressed, Jabu reiterated: “We do not know the figure on the illegal workers, that is why I asked Pujut to tell us.”
Earlier, instead of posing his question the usual way by reading out the number, Abu Seman Jahwie (BN-Jemoreng) stressed the importance of being given a hearty answer.
Replying to the tourism-related question, Assistant Minister of Tourism Datuk Gramong Juna played along, saying he would answer the question to the best of his ability.
Gramong then concluded his answer by holding up two tourism brochures, which are said to be available at all entry points to the state as well as at travel agencies.
Once the question-and-answer session came to an end, Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed (BN-Semariang) was given the floor to propose the motion of appreciation for Yang Di-Pertua Negeri’s (TYT) address. Paulus Palu Gumbang (BN-Batu Danau) seconded her motion.
As soon as the House approved the motion, it was announced the debate on TYT’s speech would go on for three days, ending April 27.
Without taking any break, Murni Suhaili (BN-Daro) took the lead to read out his debate speech.
Others who also debated in the morning were Baru Bian (PKR-Ba Kelalan), Dr Wong Hua Seh (DAP-Repok) and Ting Tze Fui (DAP-Meradong).
During Murni’s debate time, Fong showed reporters in the media centre an official notice, which informed that all the three motions he planned to table had been rejected.
The former DAP man, however, added he would raise the rejected motions in his debate speech.
In the afternoon session of the sitting, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (BN-Asajaya) interjected vehemently Fong Pau Teck (Independent-Pujut) when debating on the motion of appreciation for the TYT’s address. Otherwise the session was a relatively quiet affair.
Earlier, Fong suggested that the Sarawak Chief Minister’s post be changed to Prime Minister when he talked about the change of status of the State Assembly to Parliament.
When asked to clarify his interjection, Abdul Karim who is also Assistant Minister of Housing and Assistant Minister of Youth Development told The Borneo Post that he found Fong’s suggestion unreasonable.
“I find that as under Order 32 (10) a member should not utter statement that is tantamount to treason. By making that suggestion, YB Fong is impliedly suggesting that Sarawak should be a republic or an independent nation having its own head called prime minister and a separate parliament,” he said.
“YB Fong should be responsible enough to understand the implication of his words. He is bound by his pledge to be loyal to Malaysia and the federal constitution and he should not utter words that tantamount to treason,” he added.
Abdullah Saidol (BN-Semop) who is chief political secretary to the chief minister also interjected Fong’s speech on the same matter by saying that Fong should have checked his facts thoroughly before raising them in the DUN.
Apart from Fong, other members of the august House debating on the motion of appreciation for the TYT’s speech were Datuk Joseph Mauh Ikeh (BN-Tamin), Violet Yong (DAP-Pending), Yussibnosh Balo (BN-Balingian), Razaili Gapor (BN-Beting Maro) and Chiew Chiu Sing (DAP-Kidurong).
The afternoon session was presided by Deputy Speaker Datuk Roland Sagah, who around 5pm adjourned it to 9am today.