Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen has expressed deep disappointment over the High Court ruling ordering him to pay RM500,000 in damages to YB Datuk Amar Professor Dr. Sim Kui Hian in a defamation case and announced plans to appeal.
Chong, who is also the Pujut state assemblyman, followed the court proceedings via Zoom with his legal team and later shared his response on Facebook. He stressed that the two posts he made in April 2020 were based on official documents issued by the Sarawak state government at the time. He said the documents contained discriminatory and unfair policies, which have yet to be formally rescinded.
Chong maintained that his posts were reasonable critiques of the government’s unfair and discriminatory policies, and that he has every right to comment on public policy. He argued that the High Court judge failed to accurately understand the main points of his Facebook posts.
Citing the unfairness of the policies and his consistent commitment to defending public speech, Chong confirmed he will appeal the ruling. He also took the opportunity to thank his legal team for their dedication, and expressed gratitude to everyone who supported him throughout the litigation.
