Speaker: Announcement of Supply Bill, four others may be ‘landmark DUN sitting’ for S’wak

Asfia (centre) showing the documents with regards to the upcoming DUN sitting while Deputy Speaker Datuk Idris Buang (left) and DUN secretary Pele Peter Tinggom look on.

By Christopher Lidom and Nur Ashikin Louis

KUCHING, Nov 18: The upcoming Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting may be a landmark sitting for Sarawak with the Supply Bill announcement by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and four other bills.

DUN Speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said it is scheduled to commence on Nov 20 until 29, starting with the tabling of the Supply Bill, which is the Sarawak Budget 2024 by Abang Johari, followed by the tabling of four bills, including two new bills namely the Sarawak Ombudsman Bill 2023 and Environment Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission Bill 2023, Distribution of Gas Amendment Bill 2023, and Electricity Amendment Bill 2023.

“I would say without fear of exaggeration, it may be a landmark sitting with all these budget bills, the Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has a lot to announce,” he told a press conference after the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) pre-council meeting in conjunction with DUN sitting at PBB headquarters in Jalan Bako today.

The Supply Bill, the State budget, will be tabled by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, also Finance and Economic Planning Minister, with the first and second readings to be held on Nov 20 and the third on Nov 29.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will table the Ombudsman Bill 2023 with the first, second, and third readings on Nov 20.

The Environment Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emission Bill 2023 will be tabled by the Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Law, MA63, and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali on Nov 20, together with the first, second, and third readings.

Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi will table the Distribution of Gas Amendment Bill 2023 with the first reading on Nov 20, followed by the second and third readings on Nov 21.

Julaihi will also table the Electricity Amendment Bill 2023, with the first reading on Nov 20 and the second and third readings on Nov 21.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Asfia also revealed that as of Nov 6, a total of 322 questions (both oral and written replies) were received from 41 honourable members of the House, with the Ministry of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government (MPHLG) receiving the highest number of questions at 54.

He said that during the DUN sitting, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas will present a motion on Sarawak Sovereign Wealth Fund Board 2022 on Nov 21.

Apart from that, Asfia said there will also be a motion to elect new Senators as current Senator Datuk Dr Nuing Jeluing will finish his second term on Dec 10.

On Monday (Nov 20), there will also be a swearing-in ceremony for the newly-elected assemblyman for Jepak, Iskandar Turkee.

The winding-up speech for this DUN sitting will be on Nov 27, 28, and 29. — DayakDaily