Kuching: Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has condemned what he described as a blatant breach of parliamentary procedure and Speaker impartiality, after being ejected from the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly during a special sitting on 7 July 2025.
“Based on proper parliamentary procedure, when a member raises a ‘Point of Order,’ the speaking member must immediately cease speaking and sit down, and the Speaker must first hear out the ‘Point of Order’ before making any ruling.
“Yet during the special sitting, the Speaker refused to even allow me to state my ‘Point of Order,’ with my microphone left unopened, before hastily making a ruling and ejecting me from the Assembly,” Chong said in his Facebook posting yesterday.
According to Chong, the move was a blatant violation of the Standing Orders and a complete breach of the Speaker’s responsibility to conduct proceedings with fairness and impartiality.
Chong contrasted his treatment with an earlier incident in the same session, in which Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap was allowed to raise a “Point of Order” during a debate by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong.
“Yap was even allowed to read what appeared to be a prepared statement at length, without any interruption. But when I stood up to raise mine later that day, I wasn’t even allowed to begin,” he said. “Such blatant bias is utterly unfair.”
The incident has intensified concerns over democratic erosion in the state legislature.
“To be frank, witnessing such a scene recently left me deeply disheartened. Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) already controls 80 seats in the State Assembly.
“Now, they refuse to even tolerate the voices of the two remaining opposition assemblypersons, seeking to silence us completely, eliminate dissent, and turn the Assembly into a one-sided chamber devoid of checks and balances,” Chong said.
Calling the development “deeply worrying” and “dangerous,” Chong stressed that the legislature’s oversight role is being systematically undermined.
“The fundamental principle of checks and balances is being eroded like never before. If this continues, Sarawak’s democratic institutions will be left hollow.”
Despite his removal, Chong vowed to continue speaking out. “Even if I am expelled from the Assembly, I will not be silent. I will keep fighting for the people’s right to know, for institutional integrity, and for a truly democratic Sarawak.”
Chong was ejected by the Speaker after attempting to raise a “Point of Order” under the Assembly’s Standing Orders 36(9), 32(6), and 32(12), in response to what he described as a false allegation made by Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang. Lo had claimed during the debate that both Chong and Violet did not support a proposal to increase Sarawak’s parliamentary seats.
The accusation not only seriously misled the Assembly but was also a clear attempt to tarnish Chong and Violet’s reputation.
Following his removal, Chong who is also DAP Sarawak chairman and Stampin MP held a press conference to denounce the Speaker’s actions, accusing him of open bias and violating established parliamentary procedure.
Chong emphasised that all DAP Sarawak MPs have consistently supported any move to increase Sarawak’s parliamentary representation.
“Our position on this has always been firm and unwavering. Regrettably, Lo Khere Chiang chose to spread blatant lies and deliberate misinformation,” he said.
