'No' to motion to discuss boat tragedy

The Sarawak Legislative Assembly on Wednesday rejected a motion tabled by Chong Chieng Jen (DAP-Kota Sentosa) to discuss the Belaga express boat tragedy as the search and rescue operation was still going on and lives were feared lost.

In making the ruling as irregular and inadmissible, state assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar said it would prejudice the case based on newspaper reports while the relevant agencies should also be allowed to carry out their investigation into the incident.

"It requires a 24-hour notice to table such a motion, which, in this case, is irregular and inadmissible, having breached 250 words by containing 397 words," he said at the sitting, here.

The motion tabled by Chong in the wake of Tuesday's accident at Jeram Tukok/Jeram Bungan in the Rajang River, should be under Standing Order 15 and not under Standing Order 23(2)(d), he said.

Among Chong's proposed resolutions was that the Sarawak Rivers Board chairman must be held accountable for the overloading of passengers, which had occurred repeatedly while the government must immediately implement the construction of the 100km road from Kanowit to Song, Kapit and Belaga with a commitment to complete it within three years.

"While this tragedy has saddened everyone, it is also time that urgent action be taken by the government to ensure that such a tragedy will not recur," he said, adding that after 50 years there was still no proper access road to the rural districts of Sarawak.

In a spirit of solidarity and compassion, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu said the Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers were contributing RM24,000 towards the welfare fund for the victims and their families while the political secretaries to the chief minister chipped in with RM5,000, state assistant ministers (RM1,500) and Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen (RM2,500).

Meanwhile, state Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said 33 victims of the boat capsize incident had been temporarily placed at a longhouse, Rh Tebuk Long Buyui.

She said food aid and kitchen equipment from the State Social Welfare Department's forward base were distributed to the department's relief workers from Kapit yesterday, while others from Bintulu were on their way with blankets, clothing and mattresses for the survivors and their family members who were now housed at the temporary relief centre.