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By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Aug 8: The trial between Sarawak United Peoples’ Party’s (SUPP) Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian and Sarawak Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Chong Chieng Jen continues with Tan Kai being called in as the tenth witness over allegedly defamatory statements regarding the allocation of funds for food assistance amid the Covid-19 crisis.
Tan Kai, chairman of Padawan Municipal Council, took the stand yesterday (Aug 7) and testified on various aspects related to the background of food aid allocation in Sarawak in 2020.
Counsel Michael Kong, representing the defendant, questioned the usage of the words ‘misuse’ and ‘mismanagement’ in the alleged Facebook posts.
Tan Kai clarified that although these specific terms were not used verbatim, the overall meaning implied a deviation from the original purpose of public funding allocated for food aid.
The trial also brought attention to paragraphs none and ten, where the defendant allegedly made comments critical of the manner in which the food aid distribution was implemented by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), a coalition of parties including SUPP.
The plaintiff’s counsel, Shankar Ram, countered these claims, emphasising that the article must be read as a whole to understand the context properly. The trial also delved into the defendant’s alleged characterisation of the plaintiff as a “disgraceful individual who doesn’t care for the people” and pointed to paragraph nine as evidence.
The cross-examination also touched on the witness’ role as a political secretary of the Premier of Sarawak and his representation at dinners and functions organised by the GPS government. The witness clarified that he represented other ministers as well, not just the plaintiff.
Questions regarding the appointment of local council members and mayors brought further insight into the political dynamics within SUPP and the Sarawak government.
Counsel Shankar Ram, Russell Lim, and Yu Ying Ying represented the plaintiff, while Chong Siew Chiang, Michael Kong, and Brenda Chong represented the defendant. — DayakDaily
