Apex court maintains ex-Padungan rep’s jail time, fine for contempt

KUCHING, Sept 9 — Former Padungan assemblyman Dominique Ng Kim Ho today lost his final appeal when the Federal Court upheld a High Court’s ruling of a one-day jail term and a RM30,000 fine in default three months’ imprisonment imposed on him for contempt of court in 2017.

“My committal leave appeal has been dismissed by the Federal Court just now.

“I am now going to the Kuching High Court to serve out my one-day jail sentence,” he told Malay Mail.

He said he would not need to go to prison, but must only remain detained at the Kuching Court’s premises after office hours.

He added he already paid the RM30,000 fine on April 1 this year.

The contempt proceeding against Ng, who is a lawyer, arose when he was heard talking to his clients in a land case at the Miri Court premises on March 6, 2017.

In his conversation with the clients, which was recorded in a video, he described High Court Judge Datuk Lee Heng Cheong as “biased” against him.

His clients on March 6, 2017 wanted him to apply to the court to get Lee to withdraw from presiding over the case, which was rejected.

Ng was subsequently found guilty of the charge of contempt of court on March 30, 2017 by another High Court Judge Dean Wayne Daly.

He was representing the villagers of Kampung Haji Wahid in a land dispute in 2017 against Pantai Bayu Indah, Land and Survey Department and the Sarawak government.

His appeal to the Court of Appeal, presided over by the then Court of Appeal judge Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli with judges Datuk Kamardin Hashim and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, was dismissed.

In the appeal in the Federal Court, Ng was represented by Arthur Lee, Voon Lee Shan and  Henry Ling.