KOTA KINABALU: DAP MP Jimmy Wong Sze Phin remains unfazed by the Kota Kinabalu district native court’s decision to declare his native certificate invalid.
The Kota Kinabalu MP said on Friday he is appealing against the decision made by the court which was presided by mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai on Thursday.
“I am confident justice will prevail,” he said.
A native court official said Wong, the former state DAP chairman, could ask the Sabah Native Court of Appeal to review the decision.
The Native Court of Appeal is chaired by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum.
At Thursday's hearing, Yeo said the court found that Wong had failed to give proper explanation about the validity of his native certificate.
He said Wong’s testimony during the hearing had cast doubts among the panel of judges comprising himself as well as native chiefs Karim Ujud and John Anthony.
On March 28, 2012, state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor told the state assembly that Wong’s native certificate would be revoked because an investigation had found that he was not qualified to claim bumiputra status.
Although Wong had claimed to have Kadazandusun ancestry, Hajiji said the investigation found this to be untrue.
He said Wong’s birth certificate showed that his parents were Chinese.