By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Aug 4: All the elected representatives in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) will continue to receive their salaries and remunerations during the Emergency which is scheduled to end on February 2 next year.
Sarawak DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar assured all Sarawakian lawmakers that their salaries will be paid as stipulated under the Emergency (Essential Powers) (Sarawak) Ordinance 2021.
“Section 5 and Section 6(2) of the current Emergency (Essential Powers) (Sarawak) Ordinance 2021 are explicit and implicit.
“Section 5 reads (that) for so long as the emergency is in force, members of the Dewan Undangan Negeri shall until the date of dissolution be entitled to remuneration and any other allowances and benefits payable to them under any written law.
“Section 6(2) states (that) for so long as the emergency is in force, the Chief Minister and members of the Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri Sarawak (Sarawak Cabinet) shall be entitled to remuneration and any other allowances and benefits payable to them under any written law,” he told reporters during a special press conference on the proclamation of Emergency (Sarawak) and the Emergency (Essential Powers) (Sarawak) Ordinance 2021 at the Sarawak DUN complex here today.
Mohamad Asfia added the entitlement of salaries and remunerations by elected representatives was also in line with Article 64 of the Federal Constitution.
Earlier, he said the Emergency (Essential Power) (Sarawak) Ordinance 2021 promulgated pursuant to Article 150(1) and Article 150(2B) of the Federal Constitution by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah is a new ordinance tailored made for Sarawak adding that it was not an extension of the Emergency (Essential Power) Ordinance 2021.
Sarawak DUN deputy speaker Dato Gerawat Gala was also present at the press conference. — DayakDaily
