Trial Unfolds as Witness Claims Saline Offered as Vaccine Option

A member of the controversial Healing the Divide chat group testified on August 28, 2023, about being offered a saline solution instead of a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Singapore. The witness, Cedric Lim Jun Qi, 35, recounted his experience during the ongoing trial of the group’s founder, Iris Koh Hsiao Pei, along with Dr. Jipson Quah and clinic assistant Thomas Chua Cheng Soon.

Dr. Quah faces 17 charges related to allegedly misleading the Health Promotion Board by falsely claiming that patients received COVID-19 vaccinations. The prosecution asserts that he conspired with Koh, Chua, and other patients in this endeavor. Lim took the witness stand in the afternoon session, revealing details of his interactions with the accused.

During the testimony, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Chong mentioned that the prosecution had not communicated with Lim prior to the hearing. When questioned, Lim stated that his only interactions with the defendants were brief encounters at a police station and the clinic, which elicited laughter from the audience.

Lim detailed his participation in the Healing the Divide Telegram group, where he expressed his apprehensions about getting vaccinated. He explained that he had delayed his vaccination until the last minute in January 2022 due to fear of potential side effects. He needed the vaccine to retain his job as a private-hire driver, which added to his stress.

In a conversation with Koh, Lim was introduced to Dr. Quah, who offered him a choice between the Sinopharm vaccine and a saline injection. Under examination, Lim indicated he did not verify the legitimacy of this offer.

He recalled, “At the time, my thoughts were – OK, it sounds fair enough… if you want to give a child … the dosage will be different for different sizes.” Following this interaction, Lim left the queue at the Punggol clinic and visited Dr. Quah’s clinic in Yishun with his wife.

During the visit, Lim expressed his fears about the vaccine’s unknown contents. Dr. Quah attempted to reassure him and presented two translucent tubes of saline alongside boxes of Sinopharm. Lim described how Dr. Quah asked him to check the expiry dates on the Sinopharm boxes before asking which option he preferred. Overwhelmed by fear, Lim ultimately chose the saline solution while his wife opted for the Sinopharm vaccine.

Lim asserted that he recognized the saline from his previous science classes, stating, “He showed me, and the tube, last time in the Science lab, I see before.” Following the decision, Dr. Quah removed the items from the table and administered the injections.

Confused after receiving what he believed was a saline jab, Lim was surprised when Dr. Quah congratulated him on his vaccination. “I felt very confused… I don’t know what he did,” Lim stated, explaining that he had looked away during the injection.

Afterward, Lim discovered there was no record of his vaccination in Dr. Quah’s system, prompting him to return to the Punggol clinic for another injection. He needed to maintain proof of vaccination to keep his job. Lim attempted to contact Dr. Quah’s clinic but received no response, leading him to reach out to Koh via Telegram. She connected him with Chua, who provided a memo stating Lim had been vaccinated.

When questioned about his decision to accept the saline solution, Lim reiterated that fear influenced his choice. He admitted he was uncertain about the contents of the syringe used during the procedure, stating, “I cannot really feel, because it was so quick.”

At one point during the proceedings, the prosecution requested to cross-examine Lim, citing inconsistencies between his current testimony and previous statements. The trial continues, with Dr. Quah represented by Mr. Adrian Wee and Koh defended by Mr. Wee Pan Lee. Chua currently does not have legal representation.