By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Oct 9: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) will hold its final sitting of the current term from Oct 12 to 21, with four government Bills to be tabled, including the Sarawak Budget 2027.
DUS Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said the eight-day sitting would feature the Budget Bill, a supplementary supply Bill and two amendment Bills.
“There are no new Bills. One is the Supply Bill, which is the Budget, the second is the Supplementary Supply Bill, and the other two are amendment Bills,” he told a press conference at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) headquarters in Petra Jaya today.
The Supply (2027) Bill, 2026, will be tabled by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, with its first and second readings scheduled for Oct 12 and third reading on Oct 21.
Government backbenchers and Opposition members are scheduled to debate the Budget Bill from Oct 14 to 16.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas will table the Supplementary Supply (2026) Bill, 2026. Its first reading is scheduled for Oct 12, followed by its second and third readings on Oct 14.
The Sarawak State Library (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will be tabled by Minister for Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, while the Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill, 2026, will be tabled by Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.
Both amendment Bills will have their first readings on Oct 12, followed by their second and third readings on Oct 13. Government backbenchers and Opposition members may debate the Bills during their respective second readings.
Asfia said DUS had received 336 oral and written questions from 40 assemblymen as of the Sept 28 submission deadline.
Of these, 264 questions from 37 members are for oral replies, while 72 questions from 13 members are for written replies.
The Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication received the highest number of questions, with 56.
Asked whether any questions submitted by assemblymen had been rejected, Asfia replied: “No. No. No question was rejected. Fortunately or unfortunately.”
Question-and-answer sessions are scheduled for four days, from Oct 13 to 16, while ministerial winding-up sessions will take place from Oct 19 to 21.
The sitting will also include the election of a new senator on Oct 13, following the expiry of Senator Michael Mujah Lihan’s term on Dec 10, 2026.
Asfia said DUS had received no private members’ motions under Standing Order 23 by the Oct 2 submission deadline.
As of Oct 9, DUS had also received 18 annual reports and financial statements, six Command Papers, one Vote of Proceedings, one Hansard and one set of written answers to assemblymen’s questions.
The sitting will begin at 9am at the Assembly Chambers on Level 8 of the DUS Complex, with no sittings on the weekend (Oct 17 and 18).
A Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) annual general meeting is also scheduled for Oct 21.
Also present during the press conference were Deputy DUS Speaker Datuk Idris Buang and DUS secretary Nur Azhar Bujang. — DayakDaily
