KUCHING, Nov 15: The amendment to Article 16 of the Sarawak Constitution does not allow only Sarawakians to be elected as the people’s representatives as claimed by GPS and SUPP, alleges Sarawak DAP.
This is the view of Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who also emphasised that the children of a Sarawak-born person, though not a Sarawakian, can now be elected as a member of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (ADUN).
“The true fact is, even if a person is born in Sarawak, he may not be a Sarawakian.
“But with the second version of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill, 2020, that Sarawak-born person’s children can be elected as Sarawak ADUN,” he said, asserting that this is not what Sarawakians would want.
Different from what the state government had proposed in the passed Amendment Bill, Chong had raised the suggestion of inserting the word ‘Sarawakian’ but it was rejected by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) ADUNs during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting last week.
Thus, he opined that Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has no intention of making ‘Sarawakian’ to be the qualifying criteria for the eligibility of those who could become ADUNs.
Adding on, he also rebutted Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Dr Sim Kui Hia’s claim that only Sarawakians can be elected as Sarawak ADUNs with the new amendment of the Sarawak Constitution.
Labelling it “a lie” to the people of Sarawak, Chong who is also the Kota Sentosa assemblyman thus urged SUPP and GPS to be truthful to and frank with Sarawakians.
“They (GPS and SUPP) are the ones rejecting the use of the word ‘Sarawakian’ as the eligible candidates (sic) of Sarawak ADUNs,” he added. — DayakDaily
