KOTA KINABALU: Rookie Sabah assemblyman, Junz Wong, is in hot water with the state assembly over a sensational report he made earlier this year about a crime that did not take place.
The state representative for Likas has been hauled up to the state assembly’s Right and Privileges Committee for acting irresponsibily in sensationalising something that turned out to be false.
He is alleged to have acted in an unreasonable manner when he made claims about an attack on a woman at the Suria Sabah Mall earlier this year which police investigations revealed did not happen.
The motion to refer him to the committee was tabled by Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan and accepted by Speaker Mohd Salleh Said at the just concluded five-day meeting of the Sabah legislative assembly.
“Today, we know for a fact that the assault never took place. There was no attempted robbery, no assault and no injury happened to this woman,” Pairin said in alleging that it had caused damage to the reputation of the management of the mall and spread fear among people in the city.
Wong earlier this year had highlighted in his Facebook account about an alleged incident where a woman was robbed and attacked outside a toilet at the mall.
The woman later denied the incident and police had taken statement from the woman and Wong.
Pairin accused Wong of failing to check his facts and acting rashly in a bid to gain political mileage. Wong has apologised for his mistake.
Wong was said to have made contradictory statements about the case of a 19-year-old girl who had lied about being robbed and slashed at a shopping centre here on January 6.
He had posted statements and photographs related to the case after the girl lodged a police report.
Based on media reports however the girl claimed Wong had persuaded her to lodge the police report. “These are two different statements and it is tantamount to a lie.”
Pairin handed a copy of the report and a newspaper clipping to Salleh before the order for Wong to face the committee was made. If found guilty by the committee of lying to the august house, Wong can be suspended from assembly for six months.
Sabah state assembly Speaker Salleh, in ordering Wong to be referred to the committee, said that there were reasons in the complaint by Pairin that Wong’s actions jeopardised the rights and freedom of the assembly.
Wong could face up to six months’ suspension from the assembly.
State opposition leader Lajim Ukin said Barisan Nasional’s move was just an act of provocation as they could just issue a warning against Wong and suspend him for one day.
“The Speaker has made his decision and we will respect it,” he said.
Borneo Insider 19 April 2014
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