Covid-19 food aid for each constituency never materialised, High Court told

KUCHING (Jan 29): The High Court here was told today that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)’s decision to allocate RM200,000 for each constituency, through the respective assemblymen’s service centres, meant for the Covid-19 food aid in 2020, never materialised.

Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen’s counsel Micheal Kong also told the court that another decision by GPS was allocation for food aid for the non-GPS constituencies would be through the service centres of GPS assemblymen.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian agreed, but emphasised that the decisions had never materialised as at March 31, 2020. He also insisted that there was an official press statement issued by the Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Sarawak Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah on April 6, 2020 stating that all the allocations were channelled and managed by the divisional disaster management committee (DDMC) for all 82 assemblymen.

Dr Sim, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, also agreed when Kong put to him that Fatimah’s press statement was to clarify the position of the GPS government in relation to the food aid allocation, which was determined by the food supply chain committee.

Kong further put to Dr Sim that Fatimah did not announce any revocation or rescission of the second decision.

Dr Sim: I disagree because Dato Sri Fatimah’s statement dated April 6, 2020 clearly stated that all funding are channelled through DDMC irrespective whether they are GPS ADUNs (assemblymen) or non-GPS ADUNs, and YB Dato Seri Fatimah made the statement not only as a minister but also as deputy chairman of food supply committee.

Kong: Since you disagree, show me where in this exhibit that PW5 (Fatimah) revoked or rescinded the second decision which is regarding DUN constituencies not under GPS wherein it was earlier decided that food aid for non-GPS ADUNs will be through the GPS ADUNs.

Dr Sim: In the YB Dato Sri Fatimah’s press statement at Paragraph 3, ‘All funding are channelled and managed through DDMC, all payments to the relevant food suppliers for the purchase of food will be made by DDMC’. It means all including non-GPS ADUN areas.

In 2020, Dr Sim – also Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president – filed the defamation suit over Chong’s allegation that the Deputy Premier had failed to manage food aid funds worth RM800,000 meant for four Opposition-held state constituencies of Padungan, Batu Lintang, Pending and Kota Sentosa.

Dr Sim is represented by Shankar Ram, who is assisted by Yu Ying Ying and Russell Lim, while Chong is represented by Kong, Chong Siew Chiang and Brenda Chong.

The defamation suit, heard before Judge Dr Alwi Abdul Wahab, continues on Wednesday.