KUCHING, Nov 13 — PKR's See Chee How was unsuccessful in getting the Sarawak state legislative assembly to reaffirm its decision today to reject the relocation of the office of the Principal Registry of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu.
Speaker Datuk Amar Asfia Awang Nasar regretfully rejected the Batu Lintang assemblyman’s application due to the short notice given, saying the issue concerned Sarawak interests and “is a very good motion”.
“Under Standing Order 15 of the state assembly, a member who wishes to seek leave to move the motion for an adjournment of the house must meet the 24-hour requirement before the commencement of the today’s sitting to be approved by the Speaker,” he said.
Asfia also said it will be out of order to rescind any specific question upon which the state assembly has come to a conclusion, except upon a substantive motion for rescindment.
“There is no motion for rescindment. I regret I have to reject the motion from Batu Lintang,” he said.
In his proposed motion, See urged the state assembly to reiterate and reaffirm its earlier decision to reject the relocation of the office of Registry of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu.
He said the state assembly on April 30 this year passed a motion to reject and protest the relocation so to protect the sanctity of the Federal Constitution.
He said the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court and other senior judicial officers met Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg yesterday seeking consent to relocate the registry to Kota Kinabalu from Kuching, effective this Friday.
He said the state assembly must stand firm against the relocation.
On April 30, the state assembly unanimously passed the motion to reject the relocation of the principal registry.
The motion, which was also moved by See, urged the state government to immediately undertake all necessary engagements and actions to protect the sanctity of the Federal Constitution and to safeguard the inviolable constitutional rights of Sarawak.
On April 19, in a circular signed by the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court Datuk Seri Latifah Mohd Tahar, had stated that the registry would be relocated to Kota Kinabalu on May 1.
Following a strong objection from the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Office, she issued another circular to say that the relocation would not be carried out as planned.
According to de facto Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong, the proposal to move the registry was submitted by the former Chief Justice of Malaysia to the Prime Minister’s Office without consulting the chief ministers of Sarawak and Sabah.
