Dr Ting Tiong Choon remains as Pujut assemblyman, court rules

DR Ting Tiong Choon remains as Pujut assemblyman, Kuching High Court ruled today.

Judge Datuk Douglas Primus Sikayun who also awarded RM100,000 to Dr Ting said “the Dewan has no express powers to deal with an election result.”

The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly on May 12 had disqualified Dr Ting as the DAP assemblyman for Pujut by citing his alleged Australian citizenship.

Speaker Datuk Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar decided on the disqualification, arguably the first such case in Malaysia, after Sarawak Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh tabled a motion calling for Dr Ting''s disqualification.

Wong stated that the DAP assemblyman had Australian citizenship which he renounced on April 4, 2016, just three weeks before the state election.

READ: Sarawak Assembly disqualifies Pujut DAP rep citing Australian citizenship

In the 11th Sarawak state election in May last year, Dr Ting won with a 1,759-vote majority, defeating three candidates, Datuk Hii King Chiong (from BN), Jofri Jaraiee (PAS) and Fong Pau Teck (Independent).