KUCHING, July 18 — Sarawak state lawmakers voted today for their assembly to proceed with its appeal against the appellate court ruling upholding the decision to reinstate DAP’s Dr Ting Tiong Choon as the representative for Pujut.

Sixty-eight lawmakers from Gabungan Parti Sarawak (PGP) voted for while seven from the Pakatan Harapan (PH) rejected the ministerial motion moved by Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Karim Rahman Hamzah.

When tabling the motion, Karim said the state lawmakers also authorised legal officers from the State Attorney-General’s Chambers to represent the state assembly in the application for leave and to carry out all the necessary acts and deeds.

"Let me say at the outset that this motion is not intended to be a personal vendetta against the member for Pujut, nor is this a political persecution against him.

"This is about the powers and the obligation of the members to protect the sanctity of this August House,” he said.

He stressed that the case needed clarification as Dr Ting had obtained Australian citizenship before renouncing this later.

Later, Karim told reporters that the Federal Court should decide on this constitutional matter.

During the debate on the motion, DAP’s state lawmaker for Bukit Assek, Irene Chang, criticised the ruling GPS coalition for submitting the motion, claiming it to be against the wishes of the people who voted for Dr Ting in Pujut.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Gerawat Gala also stopped DAP’s Wong King Wei from continuing his debate as he was representing Dr Ting as a lawyer.

Last Friday, the Court of Appeal issued a 2-1 decision to dismiss the appeal by the Sarawak Speaker Datuk Asfia Awang Nasar, International Trade and e-Commerce Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, Sarawak State Assembly and Election Commission against the judgment of the High Court to reinstate Dr Ting to the post of Pujut state assemblyman.

Asfia previously said he would apply for leave in the Federal Court to appeal against CoA’s ruling.

On May 12, 2016, Dr Ting was stripped of his membership after Wong Soon Koh submitted a ministerial motion.