KUCHING: The son of a director of CityOne Megamall has apologised for stopping a person from videoing the goings-on that immediately followed an explosion that utterly wrecked a tenant’s restaurant last Tuesday.
Jonathan Long Shi Kai, who is also a director of a company called Borneo Landmark (M) Sdn Bhd, said his intention was to protect the privacy of the victims.
He referred to a video circulating online showing him confronting a gentleman who was taking a video of the scene right after the blast happened.
“I would like to sincerely apologise for my action that was obviously inappropriate and wrong,” he said.
Having done that, he wanted some understanding as he was among those who were physically impacted by the blast having just emerged from the outlet before he confronted the videographer.
“I was in a state of shock when everything just collapsed behind and on top of me. I was aware that there were several workers inside. The first thing that came to my mind was their safety,” he said during a press conference at CityOne Megamall yesterday.
Jonathan, who was among those inside the Nene Chicken, said he was panicky after the blast occurred, which caused his inappropriate behaviour.
“At the moment we are waiting for the full report from the relevant authority as we don’t have definite answers to certain questions yet.
“In the meantime, we are providing our utmost support to the victims, the deceased, and their family members,” he said.
Jonathan’s mother, Sim Ewe Kee, and his brother-in-law Johnny Lau Sie Yan were also at the outlet when the explosion happened.
He and his mother only suffered minor injuries whereas his brother-in-law suffered burns to about 20 percent of his body.
The blast killed three people and injured 41 others. Among the 41 is an Indonesian man who was a member of the construction team working on the outlet.
