Sivanesan (seated second right) alongside SUPP Stakan branch chairman show the banner of their campaign to support Sim.
KUCHING (May 9): Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chairman Datuk Sim Kiang Chiok is prepared to face any legal action taken by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong with regards to his Facebook posting on April 29.
This follows a letter of demand served to him by Chong Brothers Advocates Friday which demanded an apology from him (Sim) to be made on several platforms.
At a press conference yesterday, Sim said the posting originated from a post made by a user named ‘Emma Leong’ on Telegram app. After stumbling upon the posting, he felt that the question asked by Emma was a legitimate one.
“I then copied and re-posted the graphics on my Facebook page, which is the alleged offending post. I state here that there were many other posts with the exact same graphics made by netizens on various online platforms such as Facebook and Whatsapp, so my question is ‘why me’,” he said.
As such, he deemed this was more of a ‘political ploy’ to silence the people, believing that in a democratic country there is no crime in asking questions.
“Upon receipt of the letter of demand I then consulted my legal advisers and the party legal advisers, and I am here to announce that I will be facing this matter head-on and should we have to go to court, all I want to say here is – ‘see you in court’.
“I state here clearly, I shall not be intimidated and I will continue to raise matters which I feel is of public interests particularly on matters that touch Sarawakians,” he added.
In a separate press conference, SUPP Stakan branch said it was standing firmly behind Sim, and would not stand down nor shy away from highlighting matters in the media – be it print or social.
Its branch secretary Sivanesan Sanmugalingam said it recognised the action by DAP as a willful attempt to stop a member of the public from airing his views.
“As we have stated before in various press statements, we recognise that DAP has in the past used the legal process as a tool to intimidate and silence their critics.
“As members of a political party, we are of the opinion that this (is a) misuse of the legal process and we are here to state that ‘enough is enough’,” he added.
As such, he said the branch had launched a campaign to back their chairman with the slogan ‘I Am Sim Kiang Chiok, You touch one, You touch all’.
He added the branch was also seeking to galvanise all the silent majority to come out and voice their dissatisfaction on the matter, inviting them to join them in the campaign or make their voice heard in the coming state polls.