Dr Sim: Chong distributing food during MCO just ‘politicking for personal gain’

KUCHING (Dec 13): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said today he regards Chong Chieng Jen’s action of distributing essential food during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020 as ‘politicking for personal gain’.

During cross examination by Chieng Jen’s counsel Chong Siew Chiang in the High Court here in the deputy premier’s defamation suit against the Democratic Action Party Sarawak chairman, Dr Sim said this was in view that food distribution was already being carried out by the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC).

Siew Chiang: Do you know that Chong Chieng Jen was out to the ground with members of his service centre to distribute essential food supply to the poor and needy people almost every day during the critical time of MCO from April 6, 2020 to May 3, 2020?

Dr Sim: I did not know the defendant was out with his service centre members distributing essential food supply to the poor and needy people almost every day during the critical time of MCO from April 6, 2020 to May 3, 2020.

Siew Chiang: Do you regard Chong Chieng Jen’s act of going out almost every day during the time of the MCO as not an act of politicking for personal gain?

Dr Sim: I disagree because during that time, the DDMC had distributed food aid to all those needed as per standard operating procedure (SOP).

Siew Chiang: Why do you regard it as an act of politicking for personal gain?

Dr Sim: The food aid distribution was done by DDMC and all could participate through DDMC in coordinated way without running around with overlapping food aid distribution, as well as following the strict SOP so as not to spread Covid-19 to anyone. So if any individual was running around almost every day delivering food aid that we were not sure to whom and where, as far as I am concerned, it should not happen as it broke the MCO SOP and hence, it is a show.

Dr Sim also disagreed when Siew Chiang put it to him that it was an “honourable and splendid act worthy of admiration” to go out and distribute the food to the needy during the MCO period.

“I disagree because if you want to go out to distribute food to the needy and during the MCO period, you must follow strict SOP so that you are not causing the spread of Covid-19.

“If you are causing the spread of Covid-19, causing clusters of Covid-19 with loss of human lives due to Covid-19, it is not an honourable or splendid act worthy of admiration.

“There was a cluster in Sarawak with one person resulting in 3,000 people infected and loss of more than 100 lives,” said Dr Sim.

The defamation suit which is being heard before judge Dr Alwi Abdul Wahab continues tomorrow.

In 2020, Dr Sim filed the defamation suit over Chong’s allegation that he had failed to manage food aid funds worth RM800,000 meant for four opposition-held state constituencies – Padungan, Batu Lintang, Pending and Kota Sentosa.

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