KUCHING – Tensions ran high during the Special One-Day Sitting of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) when Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen (DAP) was ejected from the chamber after clashing with the Speaker over remarks made during a debate.
Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar ordered Chong to leave the House and suspended him for the rest of the sitting after he refused to comply with instructions to sit down and stop interrupting Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang during his speech.
The incident occurred when Lo accused both Chong and Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong (DAP) of not supporting the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Composition of Members) Bill 2025, which proposes an increase in the number of state seats in Sarawak.
“It appears that the members for Pending and Padungan don’t want Sabah and Sarawak to have one-third of the representation in Parliament, in accordance with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” Lo said in the House.
Lo further claimed that Chong’s stance was inconsistent — supporting more parliamentary seats for Sarawak but refusing more state seats.
He cited a previous view by Bawang Assan assemblyman Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who said that there’s no principle linking one Parliament seat to one state seat.
“This is typical DAP double standards. Their arguments are not just inconsistent, they’re flawed,” Lo added.
Shortly after being ordered out, Chong held a press conference to defend himself.
“Lo made a false accusation. Both Violet Yong and I have always supported increasing Sarawak’s parliamentary seats. We’ve said it clearly many times — table it in Parliament, and all our MPs will support it,” Chong stressed.
He insisted that under the House’s Standing Orders, he had the right to interject in response to false statements made during debate.
“What he said is a lie. I had every right to rise and correct the record,” he added firmly.
The dramatic episode highlights ongoing friction between the ruling GPS coalition and the opposition DAP, particularly over constitutional amendments and representation issues under MA63.
As political tensions in Sarawak intensify ahead of future federal seat redistribution plans, today’s clash may signal more heated debates to come in the DUN chamber.