THE Sarawak government’s special legal counsel, JC Fong, has confirmed that he was questioned as a witness by officers of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Kuching. 

“I was interviewed as a witness in an ongoing MACC investigation on someone whose identity was not disclosed to me,” Fong told The Malaysian Insight.

He said this when asked to comment on a viralled social media posting that alleged he was “interrogated” by the MACC and that “all his bank accounts have been frozen”.

Fong would not say when the interview took place nor if all his bank accounts had been frozen, saying his comments could be sub-judice in an ongoing investigation.

Human rights activist Peter John Jaban, however, told The Malaysian Insight that Fong was interviewed on the “evening of May 24”.

Lawyer and politician Dominique Ng said he “heard there was such an interrogation but no freezing of accounts”.

Ng said he, however, was still waiting for confirmation on it.

Jaban, deputy president of the Global Human Rights Federation and reportedly the eyes and ears of Sarawak Report in the state, said Fong was questioned over a 2019 article on the whistleblower’s website that alleged that Fong and Sarawak Deputy Premier Awang Tengah Ali Hassan had conspired to defraud a businessman over a RM285 million court judgment.

Fong had then denied the allegation made in the article, describing it as malicious and reserving the right to institute legal action against Sarawak Report and two other parties, which he said were responsible for the publication of the piece.

“I know this is the work of someone who did not like my advice given to the government in 2011 and who is very unhappy because he not long ago lost a suit against the state government, whom I defended, to claim RM138 million as special damages,” Fong said.

“I have nothing to hide.”

He said he was a “victim of revenge”.

Fong did not name the other two parties but in his statement on July 29, 2019 to refute the Sarawak Report article, he had named “a businessman, surnamed Tay who owns a hotel in the Padungan area” and former Insolvency Department officer Latip Mohammad as the people behind the publication of the Sarawak Report article.

Tay is apparently Tay Choo Foo, the original owner of Tanjung Tiara Sdn Bhd, a 4,856ha plantation concession in Niah.

He is also known as Tan Yik Soon.

The Sarawak Report article stated that Tay was the complainant in the dispute with his fellow co-owner over Tanjung Tiara and it was Tay who had claimed Awang Tengah enlisted the support of Fong in the alleged fraud.

“He (Tay) and Tanjung Tiara (in 2017) sued several government officials and ministers for misfeasance in public office,” Fong clarified. 

“But not me. I was not named as a defendant in that suit.” 

Fong said the suit was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. 

He said due to the dismissal, Tay lost his claim for RM138 million.

“So, he intensified his personal crusade to try to get me into trouble. At the appropriate time I will fight back and put up the truth,” Fong said.

The social media posting of the well-respected Fong took the legal fraternity by surprise. 

Lawyer and politician See Chee How said it was an “unsustained rumour” when asked if he had heard the allegation against Fong. 

Parti Bumi Kenyalang president Voon Lee Shan also immediately dismissed the allegation as “not true”. – May 27, 2023.