MIRI: The High Court will decide tomorrow on a suit filed by DAP’s Dr Ting Tiong Choon to challenge his disqualification as Pujut state assemblyman by the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (Sarawak DUN).
The matter was confirmed by Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen at a press conference here today.
Chong was supposed to have announced the party’s “contingency candidate” for the Pujut state seat by-election should the court uphold the decision made by the Sarawak DUN, during the press conference.
“The party will decide our next course of action pending the court’s verdict over the originating summons filed by Dr Ting,” said Chong, who is also the Kota Sentosa assemblyman.
Sarawak Barisan Nasional had also cancelled its meeting today, supposedly to be held at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) headquarters in Petra Jaya.
The cancellation of the Sarawak BN meeting, scheduled to be chaired by State BN chairman Datuk Amar Abang Johari Abang Openg, was confirmed by his press secretary Ambrose Cheng.
No reason was stated for the cancellation.
Dr Ting had named five defendants in his originating summon filed at the High Court registry in Petra Jaya on June 7.
Sarawak Speaker Datuk Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar and state International Trade and e-Commerce Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh were named as the first and second defendants, respectively, while the Sarawak DUN was named the third defendant in the suit.
Dr Ting also named the state government and the Election Commission (EC) as the fourth and fifth defendants, respectively, in the originating summon.
The 52-year-old medical practitioner is seeking a declaration that his disqualification by the state speaker, pursuant to a ministerial motion moved by Wong on May 12 and adopted by the Sarawak DUN, is null and void and of no effect for being ultra vires of the law.
He is also seeking a declaration that the proceedings and decision adopted by the Sarawak DUN, culminating in his disqualification, are not immune from scrutiny by the court and that his sacking is against the rules of natural justice.
It was reported that Dr Ting was disqualified following a ministerial motion moved against him over allegations of holding dual citizenship at the state assembly sitting on May 12.