Dr Sim: Chong ‘play-acting’ in video of him carrying rice sacks during pandemic

KUCHING (Jan 31): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian told the High Court here today that a video of Sarawak Democratic Action Party chairman Chong Chieng Jen carrying sacks of rice during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 suggested the latter was “play-acting”.

Testifying in his defamation suit against Chong, Dr Sim told the defendant’s counsel Michael Kong during cross-examination that even though the video did not show Chong talking to the person filming, his demeanor towards the videographer and the different editing of the video suggested that it was play-acting, with the defendant participating in it.

Kong: This allegation of yours that the defendant had participated and was part of the production of this video is your personal opinion and observation, am I correct?

Dr Sim: No. It is a fair comment. Anyone who has seen this video will have a lot of questions on the way that the clips are put together and the different angles which the videographer positioned himself or herself. And the demeanor of the defendant carrying the rice without any recipients shown during Movement Control Order (MCO) is very unusual. It is a fair comment rather than personal opinion and observation only.

Kong: What do you mean by ‘fair comment’ in your answer above?

Dr Sim: My meaning of ‘fair comment’ in my answer above is these activities during the MCO – with the videographer ready to take a series of video clips – is a public interest of what not to do in view of Covid-19 in which we are trying our best to keep the number of people infected down in order to make sure that our health resources are not overstretched and potentially collapsing, leading to catastrophic consequences for Sarawak.

The deputy premier, who is Sarawak United People’s Party president, further said the video itself was evidence of Chong’s play-acting, after Kong asked him to prove to the court to support his allegation that Chong was behind the production of the video.

Dr Sim filed the suit in 2020 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.

He is represented by lawyer 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 DrAlwi Abdul Wahab, continues next week.