Speaker suspends Sabah rep for insinuations

BN assemblymen demanded that Sri Tanjung rep Jimmy Wong be suspended from the current Sabah Legislative Assembly sitting.

KOTA KINABALU: Lone opposition assemblyman Jimmy Wong (Sri Tanjung) was suspended from the current Sabah Legislative Assembly sitting for refusing to withdraw a statement suggestive of cronyism and corruption in the distribution of the state budget.

Wong in debating the state Budget 2013 had claimed that “certain ministries” headed by non-Umno friendly personnel were given minimal funding and that “certain ministers” had embezzled funds meant for public projects.

He cited as example the new road connecting the State Legislative Assembly building and Wisma Innoprise.

“Usually it costs about RM2 million for every kilometer of road, but this one cost more than RM14 million,” he said much to the chagrin of other Barisan Nasional representatives who demanded that he apologise and retract his insinuations.

Sukau representative Saadi Abdul Rahman jumped on Wong, demanding that he take back his statements alleging that they were intentional and made with malicious intent towards BN.

Saadi demanded that Speaker Salleh Said Keruak take appropriate action as Wong had repeatedly ignored complaints from other BN assemblymen to withdraw his statements.

Salleh had in the interim issued several warnings to Wong to withdraw all the accusations but he refused.

It was during a ensuing verbal rally that Deputy Chief Minister Yahya Hussin proposed a motion to suspend Wong from the entire sitting as opposed to one day sit-out.

In announcing Wong’s suspension Salleh said: “Sri Tanjung member (Wong) has repeatedly challenged my authority as Speaker and has shown no respect to the House.

“A minister has proposed a motion and I hereby present to the House to have Jimmy (Wong) suspended for the rest of the sitting.”

In response Wong, who didn’t think he warranted an ejection order said: “If everyone is in agreement, then I can only say thank you”

Earlier Wong mocked the House when he said: “You are asking me to get out of the sitting for stating the fact. This is not right. Apa guna mau keluar? Sikit-sikit mau keluar.

“Is this not a democratic assembly? I am only one person, how can I fight all of you?