Chong may counter sue Fong over statements regarding MA63, ICG

KUCHING: State Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen says there is a very high chance he will counter sue state legal counsel Dato Sri JC Fong.

Chong and Fong were recently in a furore over the submission for the case of Keruntum Sdn Bhd vs State Government of Sarawak over the part on ‘the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and Inter-Government Committee (ICG) Report had no legal force in Malaysia’.

“I have received the statement of claim from JC Fong and had instructed my lawyer to handle it. There is a very high chance and likelihood I’ll be suing him back,” he told a press conference yesterday.

“There will be a counter claim against him (Fong) for certain statements that he has made against me on the same issue,” he added.

As to the details of the matter, Chong said he will disclose that in due course.

In stating this, Chong reaffirmed his stand on his statement that Fong, while representing the state government in his submission for the Keruntum case, had said that the MA63 and the IGC Report have no legal force in the country.

On Dec 5, Fong denied he made such a submission and had offered to pass on to Chong his written submission asking him to point out which part of the submission contained the words ‘the MA63 and IGC Report have no force of law in Malaysia’.

On the LRT issue in which the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Youth Central publicity and information secretary Milton Foo and its Youth chief Michael Tiang had said Chong opposing the project was denying Sarawak and its people progress, he felt that the two were a little confused themselves.

“They are trying to confuse the people about my statement or perhaps they are themselves confused about the difference between Light Rail Transit (LRT) and railway line,” he rebutted.

DAP, he reiterated, opposed the construction of LRT connecting Kuching, Serian, Samarahan and Santubong for the mere reason that it would be the biggest white elephant project in the history of Sarawak. “It will brankrupt our RM28 billion reserve. These four areas have a population of approximately 1 million people. With this population base and to cover 129km area with LRT, it is simply not viable nor feasible,” he elaborated.

“The estimated fare collected will not even be sufficient to cover the maintenance and operation of the LRT, what more to say repayment of the loan, construction costs and interest thereon,” he gave as reasons for opposing the project.

Instead, Chong said DAP proposed the construction of a Pan Sarawak rail line system which not only carry passengers but transport cargo.

“The distance of the rail line for the purpose of carrying cargo will reduce our transportation cost tremendously as well as that of road maintenance cost especially getting rid of heavily loaded huge trucks on the roads that in turn would also reduce the rate of road accidents,” he added.

In making it loud and clear, he said DAP opposed the LRT project but proposed the construction of a Pan Sarawak railway system.

Also present during the press conference was Chong’s special assistant Dr Kelvin Yii.