DUN to sit Nov 20-29; Premier to table State Budget

KUCHING: The upcoming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting is poised to be a landmark one as it will see the tabling of the State Budget 2024, two new Bills and two amendment Bills.

DUN Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said aside from the Supply Bill, the two new Bills that will be tabled are the Sarawak Ombudsman Bill 2023 and Environment (Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission) Bill 2023 while the two amendment Bills are Distribution of Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023 and Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2023.

He said all the Bills will be tabled on the first day of the sitting which is on Nov 20.

“For the Supply Bill, tabled by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, its second and third reading will be on Nov 20 and Nov 29. Members of the House will be able to debate on the Bill from Nov 22 to Nov 24,” he said during a press conference on the sitting here Saturday (Nov 18).

Asfia disclosed that the Sarawak Ombudsman Bill will be tabled by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan; Environment (Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission) Bill by Deputy Minister in the Premier Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali; while the Distribution of Gas (Amendment) Bill and Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2023 will both be tabled by Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi.

“The second and third reading of the Sarawak Ombudsman Bill and Environment (Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission) Bill will be done on Nov 20.

“Meanwhile, for the Distribution of Gas (Amendment) Bill and Electricity (Amendment) Bill, their second and third reading will be done on Nov 21,” he said.

Asfia said that the DUN had received 322 questions from members as of Nov 6 (the closing date) with 222 of them scheduled to get oral replies and the remaining 100 written replies.

He added that the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government received the highest number of questions – 54 in all.

“Aside from that, we (the DUN) were informed that there will be one motion from the Minister under Meeting Regulation 23(1)(a) and read together with Article 33(1)(c) of the Sarawak Constitution and Section 6(c) of the Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Future Fund Board Ordinance, 2022 regarding investments that will be presented by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas on Nov 21 and seconded by Sharifah Hasidah,” he said.