KUCHING, Dec. 22 -- The High Court here ordered Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen to pay a total of RM500,000 in damages and costs to Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian in a defamation suit concerning the allocation of Covid-19 food aid funds in 2020.

Judge Datuk Dr Alwi Abdul Wahab ruled in proceedings held via Zoom that Dr Sim as the plaintiff had successfully established his claim, while defendant Chong failed in his defence.

The court further dismissed a counterclaim filed by Chong, holding that statements by Dr Sim that were published in articles, in which the Deputy Premier stated that Chong was 'carrying bags of rice merely for show', were not defamatory.

The court ruled that the articles did...