Sarawak DAP chief’s proposal to add Chinese, Indians born in Sarawak as natives dismissed at state assembly

KUCHING, Feb 16 — A notice by Chong Chieng Jen (DAP – Padungan) to propose amendment to the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill 2022 was dismissed by State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar.

Chong had brought up the notice before the second reading of the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 by Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali.

He had proposed that pursuant to Standing Order 50 (4) and 54, a notice is given to propose an amendment to the Interpretation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the following manner: Clause 2 of the Bill be amended by inserting immediately after the word “Vaie” in a new line, the words “Chinese, Indian or any race not stated herein and the person of which race is born in Sarawak and whose natural parents or either one of the natural parents is also born in Sarawak”.

Asfia gave his ruling after Chong read the notice and he also did not permit Chong to elaborate.

“The notice specifically stated ‘Chinese, Indian’. Standing Order 50(4) reads: That in order to add words stating the object and motive on which the opposition to the Bill is based, but such words must be strictly relevant to the principles of the Bill and not deal with its details”.

“The principles of the Bill are explicitly stated in the explanatory statement on the Bill which reads, and I quote, ‘Additional races considered to be indigenous to Sarawak and to include a person who is a citizen and is a natural child of a parent of a race indigenous to Sarawak and satisfies the conditions and requirements imposed by Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri for recognition of such person as a native of Sarawak’,” he said.

He added the principles under the Bill were to include additional native races to the list of indigenous races in Sarawak.

“The notice, therefore, violates these principles by adding races that are not native and non-indigenous to Sarawak. The notice is therefore dismissed.

“Standing Order 54, therefore, does not arise. The Honourable Member can raise the issue in the cause of the debate on the Bill during the second reading,” he had said.

Chong when debating the Bill brought up the issue again in his speech.

He was among those who had participated in the debate during the Second Reading. — Borneo Post