Asfia: Confluence of circumstances to result in changes in DUN seating arrangements

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Asfia speaking to members of the press after chairing the pre-DUN meeting. – Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

KUCHING: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) will see changes in its members’ seating arrangement at the sitting tomorrow with the Opposition bench, in particular, expected to see some significant shifts.

Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar told a press conference today that as Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, is no longer a member of the state cabinet, he would be “juxtaposed” with the Opposition side of the august House.

He added that as three assemblymen have been ejected from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the party now had no representative in the legislature.

“Two of the former PKR members are in close proximity with PSB bolstering the members of PSB from four to six. One of the three PKR members has been elevated to be a Deputy Federal Minister joining the Government of Perikatan Nasional at Federal Government without joining the GPS at State Level.

“This confluence of circumstances creates a new configuration in the next meeting of the DUN,” he said, reading from a prepared text.

Asfia did not name the former PKR members but it has been reported that Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How and Krian assemblyman Ali Biju had exited or were sacked from the party.

Ali was appointed as Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources after Perikatan Nasional took over the government in March. Ali is believed to now be a member of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, while Baru and See are still party-less.

Asfia also said that with the changes, the Democratic Action party’s position as leader of the opposition house was now uncertain.

“Once it is established that PSB has six members this catapults the party to rank ‘pari passu’ with DAP leaving the seat of the leader of the opposition in the House becomes an open question,” he said, using the Latin term which means ‘side by side’ or ‘on equal footing’.

Besides Wong, who quit his Cabinet post last July, PSB’s current assemblymen are Dr Johnical Rayong (Engkilili), Ranum Mina (Opar), and Datuk Tiong Thai King (Dudong).

The state legislative assembly has 82 members.

The sitting tomorrow will only be held for one day to allow the state government to table two Supplementary Supply Bills for additional funding.