By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 15: Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen interjected an assistant minister’s debate on Interpretation (Amendment) Bill but ended up being brushed aside by the august House during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
Chong was of the view that it was ridiculous for Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala to debate on Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali’s Bill as they were both part of the administration.
“When a minister tables a Bill, the minister is tabling the Bill on behalf of the whole Cabinet. It is not a Bill of the minister.
“So how can an assistant minister, who is part of the administration, debates on one’s own Bill? It just doesn’t stand to logic,” he said against Gerawat who was about to deliver his debate speech.
Chong further said by convention, any minister and assistant minister normally do not debate on the Bill that was presented or tabled by a minister.
“We can allow double voting, we can allow ministers to debate, next you will have a minister debating on another minister’s Bill. It is just ridiculous,” he concluded.
However, DUN Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar just brushed Chong aside as he asked Gerawat to proceed with his debate. — DayakDaily
