Chong had stood up to interject while Lo Khere Chiang (GPS-Batu Kitang) was speaking. At the time, Lo had accused Chong and fellow opposition member Violet Yong (DAP-Pending) of opposing Sarawak’s efforts to expand its parliamentary representation.
Chong in turn accused Lo of lying as both he and Yong had said in their earlier debates that the priority should be to demand an increase in Sarawak’s parliamentary seats, not in the state assembly.
Chong maintained that both he and Yong would support any move to strengthen Sarawak’s representation in the Dewan Rakyat.
Speaker Asfia Awang Nassar told Chong to sit down after Lo had refused to yield to him on a point of order.
Asfia said Lo was merely rebutting Chong’s debate against increasing the number of assembly members earlier.
Chong slammed the assembly rule book on his desk several times, demanding that he be heard on a point of order.
Asfia asked him to be quiet, but Chong refused. “If you continue to do this, I will send you out. That is it, I am sending you out,” the speaker said.
The sergeant-at-arms was told to remove Chong forcibly, if needed. Chong packed up his belongings and left the chamber.
Contacted later, Chong said it was unfair that a backbencher was allowed to raise a point of order and then launch into a diatribe against him.
He also dismissed Lo’s allegation that he did not want more Sarawak representation in Parliament.
A special assembly sitting is being held today to debate the state government’s proposal to increase the number of state seats from 82 to 99.
Yong earlier described the move as being unfair, costly, and only meant to shore up support for the ruling state coalition.
She also described the proposal as “gerrymandering dressed up as reform”, claiming that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak-led government was adding new seats only in areas it could win, rather than where they were needed based on voter numbers.
Chong had also opposed the proposed increase in state assembly seats, saying Sarawak’s large land area alone does not justify adding more assemblymen.