Sarawak’s Pujut constituency will see a by-election within 60 days, after its assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon was today disqualified from the state legislative assembly over allegations that he is an Australian citizen.
A total of 70 members voted in favour of the ministerial motion to disqualify Dr Ting, raised by International Trade and E-Commerce Minister Wong Soon Koh, The Borneo Post said.
Only 10 members voted against the motion.
Dr Ting has been accused multiple times of holding dual Malaysian-Australian citizenship.
In June last year, Barisan Nasional’s direct candidate for Pujut, Hii King Chiong, filed an election petition at the High Court in Miri to declare Dr Ting’s candidacy as null and void on grounds that he was an Australian citizen at the time Sarawak’s 11th state election was concluded.
Ting, from DAP, was declared winner of the election for the Pujut seat after garnering 8,899 votes against 7,140 votes obtained by Hii. Jofri Jaraiee of PAS obtained 513 votes and independent Fong Pau Teck received 375 votes.
According to the Borneo Post, Hii said he had discovered that Dr Ting was still a registered voter with the Australian Election Commission.
However, Dr Ting hit back at the allegation, insisting that he does not hold any citizenship other than Malaysian.
Today, Wong claimed he had concrete evidence that Dr Ting had accepted Australian citizenship on Jan 20, 2010.
“Do not try to mislead this House anymore. Do not try to confuse anyone,” he was quoted as telling Dr Ting.
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