I never prevented anyone from taking Covid-19 vaccine, doctor tells court

SEPANG: KL Sky Clinic founder Dr Roland Victor, who is charged with making and initiating the transmission of offensive videos about the Covid-19 vaccine, has told the Sessions Court that he never prevented anyone from taking the vaccine.

Dr Roland, 42, said he made a 56-minute live video broadcast on Feb 7, 2021, via The KL Sky Clinic Facebook page to inform the public about the mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine.

"At no point in the video did I prevent anyone from receiving vaccinations, as the administration of this product is a personal choice. The live broadcast explains the vaccine's function, how mRNA helps build immunity and the side effects that may occur after vaccination.

"Throughout the live broadcast, I did not talk about any offensive content. In fact, the entire video contained no elements of deception, falsehood or words that could offend others," he said when reading his witness statement on the first day of the defence proceedings before Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman on Monday (Sept 23).

The former senior assistant director of the practice control unit and private medicine at the Federal Territories Health Department, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya said the content was based on references from the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, the Health Ministry and documents issued by Pfizer.

"I also addressed and answered questions from the audience (during the live session) on current issues and health topics. I translated the document from English to Malay to help the public understand how the vaccine works, its contents, and the side effects of the Comirnaty mRNA vaccine," he said.

Dr Roland said his explanations in the video were based on his research and reading of various articles – and as a doctor, he was responsible for providing accurate and timely information to the public.

"The video had no impact on the national vaccination drive, which saw a response rate of almost 90%. I was personally involved in the national immunisation programme at The KL Sky Clinic, supplying the Sinovac vaccine," said Dr Roland, who has been serving at the clinic for more than 10 years.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Zuhaini Muhamad Amin appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Zainal.

Last March 21, Ahmad Fuad ordered Dr Roland to enter his defence on the charge after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against him.

On July 5, 2021, Dr Roland was charged with making and initiating the transmission of the offensive video with intent to annoy others using the Facebook profile page "The KL Sky Clinic" at 10.30pm on Feb 7, 2021.

He was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and can be punished under Section 233(3) of the same act which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year or both, and can be further fined RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction.

The trial continues on Tuesday (Sept 24).