By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, Nov 17: Sarawak legal counsel Datuk Seri JC Fong says it is worthless to comment on Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong’s recent statement challenging him to face her in Pending as a Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate.
As it turns out, Fong is not even a GPS member.
“It is not worthy of commenting. Anyway, I am not even a GPS member,” Fong told DayakDaily.
The quarrel between Fong and Violet started when during the recent Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Nov 6, Yong claimed Fong’s daughter was involved in controversial business dealings.
The related contents of her speech were expunged by DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar as he deemed that Yong’s speech had cast aspersions and improper motive on the character Fong and Fong’s daughter, especially as the said individuals were not there to defend themselves.
Yong then held a press conference on Nov 12 on the sidelines of the DUN sitting, claiming that she was ambushed and harassed by Fong’s wife who had sought Yong out in the DUN Complex for making allegations against the latter’s daughter.
Following that incident, Yong claimed in the press conference to be distressed, “could not sleep” and “emotionally blackmailed and manipulated” . She thus called for tighter security at DUN.
In the face of Yong’s multiple allegations, Fong challenged her to meet him at the DUN complex cafeteria at 3pm on Friday (Nov 15) for a face-to-face session to either waive her parliamentary immunity against legal proceedings or to repeat her recent accusations against him outside DUN.
Members of the media and the public were also invited to witness. Yong did not turn up for the meeting.
Fong hit back at Yong, saying that she had “chickened legged syndrome” for her no-show. Fong challenged the Democratic Action Party (DAP) lawmaker to waive her immunity or to repeat her allegations outside DUN instead of hiding behind parliamentary privileges.
In response to Fong, Yong challenged Fong to stand as a candidate in her constituency in the next Sarawak election due in 2021.
She stated she wanted to let the voters in Pending be the ultimate judge of the dispute between Fong and herself, before announcing that she will not face Fong in a Court of Law over the issue of alleged conflicts of interest involving Petroleum Sarawak Bhd Board of Directors. — DayakDaily
