‘If nominated, I will not back down,’ says Asfia

KUCHING: State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Asfia Awang Nassar has not ruled out contesting in the upcoming Sarawak election, saying he would not back down if nominated by his party.

“If I am nominated, my answer is: pantang mundur (I will not back down),” he told a press conference at the DUN Complex here today (Oct 27) following the dissolution of the Sarawak DUN.

Asfia explained that the role of a DUN Speaker had traditionally been held by an elected assemblyman, but changes to the law allowed a person to serve as Speaker without being a member of the Assembly.

He said the change followed instances in which Speakers lost their seats in elections, resulting in a situation where the candidates who defeated them remained in the Assembly while the Speakers who lost their contests continued to hold the position.

Asfia fields question from the press. Photo: RAMIDI SUBARI

However, Sarawak’s law does not require the Speaker to be a candidate in an election.

Asfia clarified that he could still contest if nominated by the party to which he belongs.

In the political and administrative arena, Asfia previously served as assemblyman for Kuala Rajang and Serdeng/Semop before becoming Deputy Speaker of the Sarawak DUN from 1995 to 2000.

He was appointed Speaker in 2002 and also serves as Permanent Chairman of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) and chairman of the party’s Constitution Committee.

During the press conference, Asfia also touched on nomination requirements, particularly the eligibility of proposers and seconders.

He said both must be registered voters in the constituency where the candidate is seeking election, with their names appearing on that constituency’s electoral roll.

“If their names do not appear on the electoral roll of that particular constituency, they should not be the ones nominating or seconding the candidate,” he said.

Asfia said nomination papers would be rejected if the proposer and seconder did not meet the electoral roll requirements.

He also confirmed that the upcoming state election would involve 82 constituencies, as the additional 17 seats would not be ready in time for the polls.