Political ploy behind my rape charge, Tronoh rep tells court

IPOH: Tronoh assemblyman Paul Yong Choo Kiong told the High Court here today that there is a political ploy behind the rape charge he is currently on trial for.

He said there had been rumours that a motion of no confidence against the Perak Menteri Besar will be submitted at the state legislative assembly to bring down the then Pakatan Harapan government and of him having to vacate his state executive councillor position.

"After what happened (rape accusation), another state executive councillor was accused of corruption... this clearly shows there are parties intending to bring us down in the government then," Yong said during examination-in-chief by counsel Datuk Rajpal Singh on the first day of his defence trial before Judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Mohamed.

He said there were parties who were envious of him for holding five portfolios.

Yong told the court he also believed he had political enemies, saying that his car was constantly being followed by unknown people after leaving his office at the Perak Darul Ridzuan building, adding that he had been informed by neighbours that unknown vehicles were always spotted near his house and the Meru Desa Park neighbourhood he resides in.

"My wife also always gets telephone calls from strange or suspicious numbers... sometimes they talk nonsensical things and other times the caller keeps quiet. There have been occasions where some have come to the house impersonating census officers and so on," he said.

Cross-examined by state prosecution director Azlina Rasdi on whether he had received verbal or written threats, Yong testified that he had received many poison pen letters but they were not serious in nature, adding that no police reports were lodged.

However, Yong, 52, declined to reveal the identities of the parties said to be envious of him, and when asked by Azlina if he had evidence for those claims, said there were none.

Meanwhile, Yong's wife, Too Choon Looi told the court that on the day of the said incident, she had gone out for 10 minutes to get fast food after returning home from a trip to Kuala Lumpur with her husband and his friend.

"I only went out for 10 minutes to buy food, a time frame that is quite impossible for the maid to be raped. And when I returned home, my husband was still with the Lee (Yong's friend)," the second defence witness said.

Too, 46, also said she would not have sided with her husband if she knew he had done something unlawful.

She also said the domestic helper (victim), despite being well treated by the family and given everything she needed, had put up an unhappy face and did not carry out her duties properly after she (Too) did not allow her to have a mobile phone.

"She told me that if she wasn't allowed a mobile phone, she wanted to quit and return home," Too said, adding that she refused to send her back as she needed more time to adjust without a maid besides also having fully paid the maid's wages for two years.

Yong was charged with raping his 23-year-old maid in a room at his house in Meru Desa Park on July 7, 2019, between 8.15 pm and 9.15 pm.

The charge, framed under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code, carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping if convicted.

The High Court on July 12 last year ordered Yong to enter his defence after finding that the prosecution had managed to prove a prima facie case against the assemblyman at the end of their case.

The trial continues on March 31.

-- BERNAMA