A DAP lawmaker today filed a police report linking the Sarawak chief minister’s political secretary to Facebook posts accusing the state party chairman Chong Chieng Jen of corruption.

Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei said he urged the police in his report to investigate if the posts by the Facebook account “Sarawak People Stand Up” were linked to Tan Kai, who had also demanded on social media that Chong disclose the names of the eight food and beverage manufacturers in Sarawak that have been given import permits (APs) for sugar.

Wong said it was a suspicious coincidence that the two posts on the same subject had appeared on the same day.

“We have reasonable belief to say that this page belongs to SUPP (Sarawak United People’s Party),” he said, referring to the Facebook account “Sarawak People Stand up”.

“This is a SUPP propaganda to attack DAP. This page, if you scroll down, attacks only DAP.

“You know who is the biggest political rival of SUPP? So I urged the police to investigate this very reasonable belief.”

Tan Kai yesterday said Chong, who is the deputy domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, should not just reveal the names of the eight AP holders but also explain how the ministry decided who should be granted the APs.

Sarawak People Stand up’s post had accused Chong of receiving a 30% kickback from the eight companies.

Wong said he lodged a report because serious allegations of corruption had been levelled at Chong.

“This is a blatant lie and blatant defamatory statement without any basis,” he said.

Wong said Chong is not the first DAP leader to have been slandered by the FB account. He said he was himself accused of misappropriating public funds in August last year.

In a statement in response to the allegations, Chong said he is appalled by the ignorance of those accusing him of cronyism and corruption.

“The granting of sugar import licences to the eight food and beverage manufacturers in Sarawak is the Pakatan Harapan government’s new liberalisation policy to counter Barisan Nasional’s previous monopoly policy.”

Chong said under the new sugar policy, any F&B in Sarawak can apply for the APs “so long as they genuinely require sugar in their production”.

The sugar imported must only be for production and not for resale.

Chong said F&B manufacturers are happy with the liberalisation policy that has reduced their costs of production and saves them approximately RM1,000 per ton.

“The only parties not happy with this new policy are the two sugar refiners, MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd and Central Sugar Refinery Sdn Bhd, who have since BN’s time enjoyed the exclusive rights of supplying sugar in the whole of Malaysia.

“Malaysians have suffered enough under the monopoly policy of Barisan Nasional.”

“Sugar is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He said there were also monopolies over the supply of rice, medical and medical equipment, and telecommunication services.

Chong said these monopolies have become so entrenched that dismantling them is a difficult task. – June 28, 2019.