Yong: Speaker's dismissal of travel expenses question alarming, undermines democratic governance
Yong said she was deeply disappointed and concerned by the ruling.
KUCHING (May 27): State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar's dismissal of a question seeking a breakdown of expenses for official overseas trips involving the state government has been called 'alarming'.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong said she was deeply disappointed and concerned by the ruling, stating her question was 'legitimate'.
She said Mohamad Asfia's assertion that such expenditures are 'trivial' or a 'pittance' is not only dismissive, but fundamentally undermines the principles of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance that the people of Sarawak deserve.
'We are not questioning the necessity of official overseas missions when they are truly for the benefit of Sarawak. What we are demanding is accountability in how public funds are spent.
'As elected representatives, we have a duty to uphold the public trust. How can we fulfil that responsibility when legitimate questions are blocked under the vague pretext of being 'against public policy'?' she questioned in a press statement today.
According to Yong, citing Standing Orders 20(3), 20(4), and 20(6) to reject this line of questioning sets a dangerous precedent where any inquiry into government spending may be unilaterally shut down, robbing the DUN of its role as a checks and balances mechanism.
She said the people have every right to know how their money is being used, especially when it involved potentially millions and millions of ringgit in travel and related expenses.
'It is alarming that while the Sarawak GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government claims to have nothing to hide, it simultaneously refuses to disclose basic financial details.
'The Speaker's statement that online methods are insufficient for inspections or negotiations is beside the point. We are not disputing the need for engagement; we are questioning the cost, scope, and propriety of these trips, including who went, how much was spent, and whether the outcomes matched the expenditure,' she argued.
Yong said Sarawakians are not asking for classified trade secrets but simply clarifications on how their tax money was spent, especially when public welfare, healthcare, infrastructure, and rural development remain inadequate across many parts of Sarawak.
'By suppressing my question, the Speaker and the Sarawak GPS government risk eroding public trust and feeding a culture of opacity,' she said.
'Dismissing calls for transparency as disruptive to Sarawak's so-called 'economic miracle' is both irresponsible and unacceptable. True economic progress does not fear scrutiny but embraces it.'
She reiterated her call for the Sarawak government to immediately disclose the breakdown of public funds used for official overseas trips over the last five years.
'If the Sarawak GPS government is bold enough to spend the rakyat's money, why are you so afraid to tell the rakyat the truth?'
In delivering his ruling, Mohamad Asfia had stated that the costs involved were merely a 'pittance' and 'trivial' compared to the billions in foreign investments the state has successfully attracted.
Warning against attempts to question the state's development strategies, the Speaker said such scrutiny could 'impede and jeopardise Sarawak's economic miracle and expansionist programme'. lead Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar overseas travel expenses violet yong
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He remains true to his decades-long passion for critical writing as he seeks to gain insight into some untold stories of societal value. MA63 oil and gas PDA Petronas Petros sarawak
