By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 16: Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong is contemplating to take legal action against political secretary to Chief Minister Tan Kai for defamation.
Yong was today called to give statement at the Kuching District Police headquarters at Simpang Tiga here following a police report lodged by Tan against her, alleging that she had made baseless accusation over the substandard Rantau Panjang tar-sealed road project costing RM3.3 million.
“I have given explanations to the police and at the moment (together with) my lawyers, we are contemplating to take legal action against Tan Kai for his statements published in two Chinese newspapers today.
“We are still looking into that because he accused me of making baseless accusation which to me is defamatory,” she told reporters when met at the police station.
Yong is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation.
She had shared in her Facebook posts questioning the substandard Rantau Panjang tar-sealed road project by making comparison between projects done by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government and the former Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
After receiving complaints from affected residents, Yong had visited the area to inspect the road quality, which she alleged the tar-sealed was only half an inch thick, and thus not up to the engineering standards as well as listened to the grouses of the people.
Her posts were picked up by Tan who, according to Yong, went to lodge a police report for raising the issue instead of fixing the problem faced by the people.
Meanwhile, Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who was present, also took a swipe at Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) for adopting an attitude that they were beyond criticism.
“Their leaders and party, so long there is any criticisms that they are not happy, either they resolve to civil defamation in court or lodging police report.
“As a political party or leader, you are not beyond reproach and criticism. Such an attitude that you can do no wrong, any statements that you are unhappy with, you will resort to all sort if means and ways to intimidate critics, this is very uncalled for,” he said.
Chong, who is also Stampin MP, added that these actions demonstrated that SUPP was getting from bad to worst which should not be they way as any political party should operate in a democracy.—DayakDaily
