KUCHING: The Sarawak Legislative Assembly today imposed the maximum fine of RM2,000 on DAP assemblyman Violet Yong for incurring the contempt of the House.

Yong had incurred the contempt of the assembly by posting on her Facebook account allegedly misleading information on the emoluments of the speaker and deputy speaker.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Gerawat Gala imposed the penalty under Section 24(1) of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance 2007 after the House voted 62-6 in favour of the motion tabled by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, who is also International Trade and e-Commerce Minister.

Yong had refused to apologise to the House and remove her Facebook post after Wong urged her to do so. She had allegedly posted that the emoluments of the speaker and deputy speaker were RM5,947 million a year which Wong said was a deliberate attempt to mislead the people and tarnish the image of the House and the speakers.

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, at a press conference later together with Yong, said what had transpired today was another incident where the majority bullied the minority (opposition).

He said there was no necessity for Wong to move the motion because Yong, the assemblyman for Pending, had merely reproduced the budget estimates.

“It is not wrong for her to post it on her Facebook because she is merely reproducing. If she had posted the wrong information, then the drafters of the budget were wrong,“ said Chong, adding that the Minister of Finance and Second Minister of Finance should also be blamed for that.

Chong said it was not clear (vague) because it only mentioned the salary of the speaker and deputy speaker.

“So, for that matter, do you need the motion to be moved? They should practise more democracy in the House,“ he said.

Yong said: “I believe I am the first DUN member (assemblyman) to be fined under the Privileges and Powers Ordinance 2007.”

She said she maintains that she did not do any wrong and did not tarnish the image of the assembly as alleged by Wong but actually gave a chance to the state government to provide an explanation.

Yong also claimed that Wong had avoided giving the breakdown of the allowance payments.

“I am disappointed with the minister’s explanation. I don’t mind paying the (RM2,000) fine because I want to stand by what I said to ensure that the taxpayers’ money is properly spent,“ she said. — Bernama