SEREMBAN: Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar (pic) has rubbished an online report alleging that he issued licences to four companies to export river sand because they are linked to him.
He said the claims were made by Umno cybertroopers, who had no clue about such matters.
"They must know that only state governments can issue sand mining licences, and that the federal government has no jurisdiction over such matters.
"That website has got all its info totally wrong," he told reporters after visiting an IWK treatment plant in Kuala Sawah near here.
Jayakumar said that while the ministry did not issue sand mining licences, it did approve the four export licences to the companies. However, no one in any of the companies were his cronies.
"A committee in my ministry vetted the applications and then forwarded the names to me for approval.
"I have no idea who is behind these companies," he said.
The website claimed that the four companies – Goldland Capital Sdn Bhd, Polo Specialist Sdn Bhd, Legacy Lestari Sdn Bhd and Asal Jasa Sdn Bhd – were Jayakumar's cronies and awarded special AP permits to export sand.
It also claimed that the four were given the licence through direct negotiations.
It claimed that Jayakumar's principal private secretary Dr Gerald Sundaraj had in a Nov 29, 2018-dated letter, asked for support from the relevant authorities to facilitate the awarding of export licences to the four companies.
Jayakumar said he had no reason to get the approval from the Cabinet, as he was authorised to award the licences.
He said there was no ban on the export of river sand, as the portal claimed.
"There is a huge international demand for river sand, and we allow it to be exported.
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