By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Dec 11: In the latest development of the legal clash between the Sarawak United People Party (SUPP) president Dr Sim Kui Hian and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, Dr Sim continued to face robust cross-examination led by Senior Counsel Chong Siew Chiang.
When asked if there was any further letter or official memorandum issued by the Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, respecting the mode of food distribution after the official memorandum on April 3, 2020, Dr Sim said there is a press statement by the ministry, clarifying the latest in which the food aid distribution is going to be channeled and managed by District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC).
He further told the Court that no ADUNs, be it GPS or non-GPS, are allocated to ensure transparency. DDMC is a government agency and has its own standard operating procedure (SOP) on transparency as well as avoiding overlaps of the recipients of the food aid.
He disagreed that the third paragraph of the second Facebook post by the defendant, which says that “The total RM800,000 will be managed by Dr Sim Kui Hian’s service centre,” is a true statement.
He said the RM800,000 is for budgeting purposes and never allocated to his service centre.
In fact, Fatimah in her press statement on April 6, 2020, had stated that no allocation goes to any ADUNs’ service centres but instead is channeled to DDMC.
He further told the court that Datuk Annuar Rapa’ee on April 12, 2020, in his press statement, has officially challenged the Opposition to come and have a look at his ADUNs’ service centre account because no amount of funding has been allocated.
He said the defendant’s second Facebook post is on April 18, 2020, after the clarification by the two YBs.
“There is no reason for the defendant to be unable to verify with Dato Seri Fatimah, YB Datuk Dr Annuar, or any of the food aid committees as well as the secretariat of the food aid committee.
He said he was not in the management of the food aid committee neither in the decision-making of the food aid committee.
“It is DDMS. Why single me out? It shows that the defendant treats me as his political rival,” Dr Sim added.
He stressed that he was not directly involved in the decision-making on the food aid neither in the distribution. — DayakDaily
