SANDAKAN: Elopura Assemblyman Calvin Chong Ket Kiun has hit back at a social media post alleging that he used a funeral to gain political mileage, challenging those behind the claims to produce evidence.
The Warisan representative was responding to a Facebook post in which an individual claimed that a politician had attended a funeral with a group of supporters, handed RM50 to a mourner and subsequently spent time promoting himself as a politician.
The post did not identify the politician but claimed that the account came from a family member of the deceased.
The allegations subsequently drew attention on social media after another Facebook account shared an AI-generated cartoon depicting a grey-haired man resembling Chong allegedly handing RM50 to a mourner and promoting himself at a funeral.
In a Facebook response, Chong dismissed the insinuations, saying that attending funerals and sending wreaths were gestures of respect towards the deceased and their families, rather than opportunities for political publicity.
“Sending a wreath and attending a funeral are two different things. Normally, a wreath can be delivered beforehand, while I would personally attend the funeral on the day of the burial or final farewell,” he said.
“This is basic etiquette, not some form of political manoeuvring.”Chong also disputed the timeline suggested by the social media allegations.
He said the last funeral he attended was on Sept 19 and that he had not attended any funerals the previous week.
Instead, he said he had been attending to matters in Tawau and Lahad Datu and was not in Sandakan during that period.
“If someone takes incidents from different dates and puts them together to create certain insinuations, I find that completely unnecessary,” he said.
Chong stressed that he would never turn a funeral into an occasion for political campaigning.
“There must be basic respect for the deceased and their families. I know what should and should not be said or done on such occasions,” he said.
He also defended the practice of sending funeral wreaths, pointing out that these were paid for and represented a sincere gesture of sympathy.
“If even such a gesture can be interpreted as putting on a show, then I can only say that some people have a very vivid imagination,” he said.
Chong said he was prepared to personally meet any bereaved family who felt uncomfortable or offended by his actions.
He invited them to contact him directly, adding that he was willing to visit their homes to clarify any misunderstanding.
“If I have genuinely done something wrong, I will apologise and admit my mistake. I will not hide behind a social media account,” he said.
He also challenged those spreading the allegations to come forward with evidence rather than making insinuations online.
“If there is a problem, we can discuss it face to face. If there is a misunderstanding, we can explain it. If there is evidence, produce it,” he said.
Chong acknowledged that public representatives needed to be particularly mindful of their conduct, saying the episode served as a reminder to exercise greater caution in public.
He said he would continue to be careful not to leave room for his actions to be taken out of context.
“The truth will eventually speak for itself,” he said.
