BY Ang Ngan Toh
Jun 19, 11 | MalaysiaKini
Kota Sentosa state assemblyperson Chong Chieng Jen has criticized state legislative speaker Awang Asfia Awang Nasar for rejecting two of his questions for the question and answer session of next week’s assembly meeting.
Chong, who is also the Bandar Kuching member of parliament, said the speaker rejected the two questions because they breached the august house’s Standing Order 20(1) (a), (c) and (l).
The first question was to the chief minister to state:
a) In the last 15 years, the list of the parcels of land alienated to companies whose shareholders consist of the son, daughter, brothers and/or sister of the honourable chief minister and the acreage of these parcels of land;
b) The premium charged by the state government for the alienation of such land to these companies;
c) Are these land alienated to these companies through open tender? If not, what are the reasons for alienating these parcels of land to these companies?
The second question was to ask the chief minister to state:
a) given that the Syarikat SESCO Berhad has entered into agreement Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd to purchase electricity power generated by Bakun Dam at the price of 6.25 sen/KwH, whether the government has any plan to reduce the domestic, commercial and industrial electricity tariff of SESCO for the local consumers, businessmen and industrialists?
b) who will be the beneficiaries of the cheap electricity generated by the Bakun Dam?
Expressing indignation that his questions had been rejected, Chong said there is “nothing wrong” with them, he told reporters yesterday.
He said they were fair questions and ought not to have been rejected.
Chong also insisted that the two questions did not breach the clauses of Standing Order 20(1)(a),(c) or (l).
Clause (a) states that a question shall not include the names of persons or statement not strictly necessary to render the question intelligible, while Clause (c) states that a question shall not contain any argument, inference, opinion, imputation, epithet or misleading, ironical or offensive expression.
Clause (l) states that a question shall not be asked seeking information set forth in acceptable documents or ordinary works of reference.
Chong said the people have every right to know how much of state land has been alienated to Taib’s family members (above, with Taib in the middle) and to their companies.
“If the chief minister has nothing to hide, he should allow the questions to go through,” he said.
Chong also stated that he had no improper motive nor was he suggesting any imputation in asking Taib to list out the parcels of lands alienated to his family members.
He also asked the speaker (right) why he was so protective of Taib when questions were asked about the chief minister.
On his questions concerning electricity tariff, Chong said the state government should make public who the real beneficiaries of the cheap electricity generated by the Bakum dam are.
“I don’t really understand why this question was rejected unless there is something to hide.
“Or is there any top secret that the government does not want us all to know?” he asked.
Chong said despite the rejection he would pursue the questions in one way or the other.
On Friday, the speaker had said that he had rejected 10 questions submitted for the questions and answer sessions of the assembly, which will sit from June 20 to 29.
Chong also criticized state Public Health and Environment Minister Wong Soon Koh for saying that he would be under attack by the DAP legislators at the assembly meeting.
“I can assure Wong that our attacks and criticisms will be on corruption, abuse of power and cronyism, and if any of the state ministers are involved, we would deal with them accordingly,” he said.
“Our track records show that we speak of corruption, abuse of power and cronyism by any state ministers, regardless of their party positions or from which party they come from,” he added.
Chong: You don’t need the state assembly to answer your two questions. I will answer them for you.
1. Over 50 pct of all land that has been alienated by the state has gone to interests controlled by the Taib family.
2. None of them was awarded via open tender. There is no such concept in Sarawak and in Bolehland.
3. Premiums on land conversion were charged not on market value, but on historical value made by the government valuers.
4. The cheap Bakun power will not benefit the consumers of SESCO. The cheap power is used to average DOWN the cost of electricity from new dams and new thermal plants which SESCO will build, and whose contracts will go to the Taib family. Without Bakun, these new projects are not viable economically.
5. With Bakun, and the new dams to be built, there is now a need for a new transmission backbone for the whole of Sarawak. Guess who will win the contract for this new billion ringgit transmission line ?
Aiyo, you already know the answers to your questions. Surely you don’t expect Taib to say it out in public.
Why have a Sarawak State Assembly and elected aduns if matters of importance to the State could not be debated…this BN speaker is [deleted]… just serving his political masters.
UMNO/BN administrators have degraded to the lowest 7th tier of human decency … the death of democracy is inevitable… Sarawak holds the lead in wrecking democracy and infamously known as the founder of pure corruptions!
Suspended 1 year for opening mouth.