KUCHING: The recent amendment to the Sarawak Constitution will not allow non-Sarawakians to be elected as State Legislative Assembly (DUN) members.
Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) president Lina Soo said the ‘Leila and Putri’ story told by Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh was irrelevant.
“If we apply the original Article 16 of the State Constitution, Putri can be elected to DUN because she is a Malayan citizen with a Sarawak working address.
“But since the amendment, Putri cannot be elected to DUN because she is not Sarawakian despite living and working in Sarawak. This is because she is 100 percent Malayan still,” she said in a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 16).
Lina was responding to recent remarks by Wong who said that the recent amendment of the Bill would mean Malaysians who were not born in Sarawak were now eligible to become DUN members.
“The story about Leila and Putri is rubbish. Leila is Malayan and can never be Sarawakian; she follows the status of her parents. Putri is the offspring of a 100 percent Malayan so she is 100 percent Malayan.
“Working in Sarawak doesn’t give you Sarawakian status. Putri cannot be elected to DUN because she is 100 percent Malayan and 0 percent Sarawakian,” she said.
“It must not be confused with resident status under immigration or tax regulations.
“They are all different terms legislated specifically for the purposes intended. Resident or ordinarily resident with different definitions for different purposes,” she said.
Soo added people must use their intelligence and judge for themselves.
“Don’t believe easily in political propaganda. There should be no doubt in any Sarawakian’s mind who wants Malayans and Sabahans to be elected to DUN, and who doesn’t want Sabah and Malaya politicians in Sarawak DUN.
“On this issue, I only stand for the truth, fairness and righteousness. I say what I believe is fair and I stand corrected,” she said.
On the same issues, Soo also questioned Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen who alleged that the Head of State Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s stepchildren could be elected to DUN.
“If we do not amend Article 16 of the State Constitution and let it stay as it is, can Taib’s stepchildren be elected to DUN?
“If YB Chong’s answer is no, how can his allegation that the amendment is to allow Taib’s stepchildren to contest as they are already eligible under the original Article 16 be true? asked Soo.
