She said everybody including Vui Kong's brothers Yun Liong and Yun Chung were in tears of joy when they saw Vui Kong kneeled on the floor and bowed to the judge three times after the judgement. Others who were present included those Singapore volunteers who have campaigned for Vui Kong 'Save Vui Kong, Give second Chance in life'. They were very thankful to Vui Kong's lawyer, Mr M Ravi for his consistency and persistence to fight for Vui Kong without any legal charges.
Datuk Chua, who is also Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Vice President, said she went to Singapore to give the family moral support as it was the final appeal after the law on mandatory death sentence on drugs trafficking was amended. She said this was the first drug case on mandatory death sentence to be lifted after the law was amended.
She said it is also of sentimental value to her that the campaign group was able to pull all the resources together to get this breakthrough.(140,000 clemency appeals was collected) She is very thankful to Mr Ravi, Ms Ngeow Chow Ying and the volunteers and supporters in Sabah and Malaysia, especially those from Singapore for their continuous support in spirit and contributions.
"It hasn't been easy because many appeals were turned down before the amendment. It was very tough for the family as well," she added.
She managed to talk to Vui Kong before and after the court proceeding. He said he felt ashamed that he has brought shame to his family and the people of Sabah. She told him that it was through his ignorance to receive this painful lesson, but brought new light to others.
"Hopefully, many young people especially girls and women would be able to learn through his experience, not to get involved in drugs. He was very thankful to all the people although they never met and know him before, for their continuous support and fight for him.
She also told him that it would be another new destiny in life for him that he escaped narrow death, he should continue to update himself, to be thankful to others, and help many others in the prison who face uncertainty in life.
She would give a present to him, a comprehensive English-Chinese dictionary that he has been longing for.
Vui Kong's brother, Yun Liong, who is working in Singapore said he was very hopeful this time after much disappointment in the previous appeals which were turned down.
He was very thankful to all the people involved in the campaign and support, its the strength that make him strong, make him brave, to continue fighting for his brother so that he and his family are brave to face the public.
It was slightly unusual in the supreme court today, that security was very tight, with many heavily armed security personnel both in the defence stand and public gallery.
Chua has urged Mr Ravi to try to appeal for reducing the 15 strokes penalty for Vui Kong. Mr Ravi said he would apply to Prison authorities to get a health medical report as Vui Kong seemed fragile to undergo such penalty. Pix (Mr. M Ravi, Counsel for Yong Vui Kong (Singapore), YB Datuk Chua Soon Bui ( MP Tawau) Miss Ngeow Chow Ying' (Lawyer for Save Vui Kong campaign), Miss Sharmila Sekaran (Voice of the Children) handed over the memorandum to the Pegawai tugas-tugas Khas of the Minister of foreign affair, Mr. Ahmad Nordin)
She said life sentence generally means 20 years minimum of imprisonment and Vui Kong was in prison since June 2007, that means 6 years had passed.
She said Vui Kong case has brought another dimension in life, "unless you try and reach a new limit, you would never know what the new outcome would be".
Chua was being told by Minister and deputy Minister not to give false hopes to his family, as they would be more disappointed in the end.
She responded, "you never try, you never know," and grateful that at least the light has shined through at the end of the tunnel for Vui Kong.
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