By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, May 7: Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong has highlighted a purported clash of opinion between Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar and the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) administration on the definition of the word ‘Government’ in the proposed Sarawak Ports Authority Bill, 2024.
She said under the proposed Bill, the word “Government” is defined to refer the State Government of Sarawak, which is contrary to Asfia’s stance as reported in previous media reports.
She said Asfia during a press conference last Saturday (May 4) opined that it is only logical and axiomatic that the word ‘negeri’ (State) to be dropped since Sarawak is recognised as a region and not one of the 13 states within Malaysia in accordance with the spirit and intentment of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“Mr Speaker, it seems that the State Attorney General of Sarawak is taking a different stand and still view Sarawak as a State instead of a region. Thus, does that mean with this definition of the word ‘government’, the Sarawak’s GPS government is not with you, on your argument?
“May I know what do you have to say on this point because from the definition of the ‘Government’, it still defines as the State Government of Sarawak and not Sarawak Government,” she said when debating on the Bill in the august House here today.
In response to this, Asfia simply said that Yong should raise this matter when debating on the Tuan Yang Terutama (TYT) Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s address instead of the Bill.
“You should raise this debate in the TYT address. I think you are confused between Government, Dewan Undangan Negeri and the Port.
“Be it Dewan Undangan Negeri or Dewan Undangan Sarawak, you are confusing it with the Port,” he said. — DayakDaily
