Photo shows the Kuching Court Complex. — Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING (Aug 7): A witness in the defamation suit filed by Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian against Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen told the High Court here today that Facebook posts made by Chong on April 15 and 18, 2020 had targeted the plaintiff.
Padawan Municipal Council chairman Tan Kai, who was the 10th witness, said the posts were not aimed at the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) state government, but at Dr Sim who is also Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister and Sarawak United People’s Party president.
Tan, a former political secretary to the chief minister, said this after Chong’s lawyer Michael Kong suggested to him during cross-examination that the Facebook posts regarding the RM200,000 food aid funds to each state constituency in Kuching Division during the Covid-19 pandemic were aimed at GPS.
The witness insisted that the serious allegations of funds mismanagement contained the posts were aimed at Dr Sim – a political rival of the opposition DAP at that material time.
“The sting of these two Facebook posts dated April 15, 2020 and April 18, 2020 is that the defendant (Chong) used the platform of food aid programme to defame the plaintiff (Dr Sim) by asking the question, just because they are political rivals or enemies,” he said.
Tan said the Facebook posts had also mentioned the misuse and mismanagement of public funds.
“It (posts) also mentioned discrimination against the people who live in opposition-held constituencies.
“The Facebook posts also criticised Dr Sim Kui Hian as a disgraceful individual who did not care about the people even though they were suffering from a shortage of food supply.
“This is a very serious accusation against Dr Sim Kui Hian as he is not only a politician, but also a well-known medical doctor in the world,” Tan said.
He added that neither Dr Sim nor the latter’s Batu Kawah service centre had directly received food aid funds from the state government.
“This programme never discriminated against the people in Sarawak who needed food aid supply, be it in GPS-held constituencies or opposition-held constituencies.
“The funding from the state government was channelled to the Divisional Disaster Management Committee,” Tan said.
In 2020, Dr Sim, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, filed the suit against Chong for alleging that Dr Sim had failed to manage food aid worth RM800,000 meant for four opposition-held state constituencies – Padungan, Batu Lintang, Pending and Kota Sentosa.
The case is presided by judge Dato Alwi Abdul Wahab.
Representing Dr Sim is Shankar Ram, who is assisted by Yu Ying Ying and Russell Lim.
Chong is represented by Kong, Chong Siew Chiang and Brenda Chong.