Ridiculous to raise funds for 'lies' of a YB

Junz (right) thumbs up for coercing 'victim' to make police report

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) said the people of Sabah should not sacrifice their hard-earned money to pay "for the lies of their elected representative".

"Should the people of Sabah, being the poorest State in Malaysia, subsidise a Malaya party (DAP) which is in power in the two richest states?," asked SAPP Vice President cum Information Chief, Chong Pit Fah.

He said these were two fundamental questions from Sabahans concerning DAP Sabah's plan to hold a fund-raising dinner to support their organising secretary Junz Wong who has been suspended by the Sabah Legislative Assembly for lying in the Assembly about the fake attack on a girl at Suria Sabah shopping centre.

Chong said DAP members must also be asking why are DAP Sabah was not seeking donations from their counterparts in Penang and Selangor.

In a statement Saturday, he said DAP Sabah should also make public the RM200,000 donation received from Penang DAP at  a grand dinner held on April 26 in Penang. "Why not use this RM200,000 to pay for the case of Junz Wong?"

In any case, Chong said the lawyer representing Junz Wong was Joan Goh, who is actually a Vice Chairman of DAP Sabah.

"Will the proceeds of the fundraiser be used to pay their own DAP Sabah Vice Chairman?" he asked.

Chong said there are lawyers willing to take up public interest cases without charging fees.

For instance, Sandakan lawyer Ken Yong Chie Man and Kota Kinabalu lawyer Peter Marajin had taken up the "Borneonisation" suit by a teacher, Nazib Maidan, and a retired policeman, Bernard Fung, against the Federal and State governments.

Former DAP Sabah deputy chief, Fred Fung, also criticised the move which he described as ridiculous and questioned whether it was really for the benefit of the people or for DAP Sabah themselves.

"The fact is, they are asking the people to give them money to pay for the wrongdoing of one of their members," said Fung.

Jimmy Wong and Junz Wong have been reported as saying that a dinner called "Solidarity with Junz Wong" would be organised on Oct. 25 at Grand Port View to raise funds to pay for the legal expenses.

Junz said they were seriously considering to apply to seek assistance from the court to interpret the State Assembly's power in meting out the suspension duration to a House member found to be in contempt.

He said he only wanted to know if the Sabah Assembly has the authority to suspend a House member for any duration other than that specified in the Standing Order. Standing Order 97 (Speaker Power) stated that "any suspension shall be from the service of the Assembly for the remainder of the current session of the Assembly or for any part thereof."