KUCHING: The High Court 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. In his ruling yesterday, Justice Alwi Abdul Wahab allowed Dr Sim’s claim that Chong’s Facebook posts on the matter were maliciously published and calculated to injure his reputation. He also found that Chong had failed to establish his defence and dismissed his counterclaim that Dr Sim’s related press statements were defamatory. Consequently, the court 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. After the ruling, Dr Sim said justice had been done.

Source: The Star December 23, 2025 09:13 UTC