By ADEN NAGRACE
KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas yesterday told the High Court that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sarawak information chief Vernon Kedit has no right to defame him.
He agreed that as party information chief, Vernon had the responsibility to disseminate information to the people and the media about his party, its policies and development to the people.
“But he (Vernon) has no right to defame or slander anyone,” he said before High Court Judge Ravinthran N Paramaguru in his defamation suit against Vernon.
Uggah said this when he was called as the first witness by his counsels Sim Hui Chuan and Alex Lim Lip Sze on Day One of the hearing here. Vernon, who is the defendant, was represented by counsels Desmond Kho and Simon Siah.
Uggah, who is also Bukit Saban assemblyman, filed the defamation suit against Vernon for calling him a “liar” and a “traitor”, which the plaintiff claimed were highly defamatory and published widely via the “PKR Sarawak State Media” WhatsApp group chat late last year.
Questioned by Kho, the deputy chief minister said when a defamation is slanderous, the effect might not be immediate but will have bad effects.
Vernon’s statements could aggravate the plaintiff’s political career as a respected Dayak leader, he added.
On whether he agreed that the Ibans saw him as their leader as indicated by the ever-increasing votes he won in the general elections since 1986, Uggah said he was one of their leaders.
To a question whether the big turnout of his supporters indicated that he was a popular leader, he said he could not answer.
Kho asked the plaintiff how many other parties might have described him before this case as generally public opinions about politicians are negative, Uggah answered: “I did not sue others because they did not defame or slander me like what the defendant Vernon had done.”
He said he personally did not know Vernon although the latter also came from Betong like himself.
Uggah agreed with his counsel that as a deputy chief minister he had been tasked with the administration of the Land Code Amendment Bill 2018.
He added a taskforce and a technical committee were formed to work out the proposed amendment then.
Uggah said they had listened to all groups with regard to the proposed amendment and that the drafting (of the draft) was prepared by the state Attorney-General.
According to Uggah, he had asked Vernon to retract his statements in the WhatsApp group chat and apologise openly but Vernon refused to do so as the defendant had argued that the statements were made for the knowledge of the people who owned customary land.
The court was also told that Uggah had given a deadline for the claim settlement (at 5pm on Aug 1), otherwise Vernon would face a RM1 million summons case including related costs.
Uggah said he was also aware of the power of the WhatsApp application in disseminating information.
“I agree that one can join a particular WhatsApp group by invitation. “I think we know how WhatsApp application works. Even if you are not a member, someone within the group can forward any message to you.
“Though I am not part of the said PKR media WhatsApp group, I came to know of Vernon branding me a liar and a traitor to the Ibans in a posting he had made which was forwarded to me,” Uggah said.
He believed the same posting about him could be seen by many more people.
Judge Ravinthran reminded Kho not to ask questions on the work of the taskforce or their discussions which he said were not “fair comment” or relevant to the case.
According to Vernon, all the comments he made in the WhatsApp group chat were on behalf of the customary land communities in Sarawak.
He pointed out that the comments only carried messages on Bumiputera customary rights and not to persecute anyone.
Also present at the hearing to give their moral support to Uggah were former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang, Minister of Utilities Datuk Seri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Deputy State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk Gerewat Gala, several state assistant ministers and state assemblymen and leaders of Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).
Both litigating parties would be calling witnesses other than Uggah and Vernon.
The hearing resumes today.
