KUCHING: The High Court here has ordered Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen to pay RM500,000 in damages and costs to Deputy Premier Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian over defamatory remarks involving Covid-19 food relief funds in 2020.
Judge Alwi Abdul Wahab, who delivered the judgment on Monday (Dec 22), allowed Dr Sim's claim that Chong's Facebook posts on the matter were maliciously published and calculated to injure his reputation.
The court found that Chong failed to establish his defence and also dismissed his counterclaim that articles published in The Borneo Post and related press statements by Dr Sim were defamatory.
It awarded RM350,000 in general and aggravated damages for defamation, RM50,000 in general damages for malicious falsehood and RM100,000 in total costs to Dr Sim.
The suit, filed in 2020, arose from two Facebook posts by Chong in April 2020 alleging misuse and manipulation of RM800,000 in government food relief funds during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Sim claimed that the posts were defamatory and damaging to his reputation, while Chong, who is Stampin MP and Padungan assemblyman, defended them as fair criticism of the state government's food aid distribution policy.
After the ruling, Dr Sim said it was long-awaited vindication and that justice had been done.
"The judgment, after some 60 days of trial, is a testament to the importance of courage and patience in the path of justice," he said.
Meanwhile, Chong said he would appeal against the judgment on personal and public interest grounds.
"I am of the view that my comment was a fair criticism against the state government's discriminatory policy and will stand by my position," he said.
Dr Sim was represented by counsel Datuk Shankar Ram Asnani, Sidharth Shankar Asnani and Shemira Adzhar, while Chong was represented by lawyers Michael Kong, Chong Siew Chiang, Brenda Chong and Sharon Lo.
