KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government has urged the public to check the validity of online advertisements claiming that some 80,000ha of rainforest land was being sold in the state and Sarawak.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said on Monday (July 29) that he was unaware of any such rainforest land sales in Sabah.
Watchdog group Rimba Watch had claimed that nine listings on online marketplaces were advertising the sale of more than 80,000ha of rainforest land in the two Bornean states.
Hajiji advised people not to fall for such offers, adding that they should obtain accurate information from the relevant agencies or departments.
"I hope people don't believe too much in what is posted on social media because much of it is biased and slanderous.
"I will look into this (claim). I have yet to receive information on this," he told reporters after officiating the state Education Department's 12th Academic Excellence Recognition Ceremony (Mekar) 2024 here.
On July 26, RimbaWatch claimed in an X posting that it identified nine listings online advertising the sale of more than 80,000ha of rainforest in Sabah and Sarawak.
Chief conservator of Sabah Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan also expressed his doubts about the "sale".
He said he suspected those behind the claims of trying to perpetrate scams as any offer to sell land within forest reserves is not valid.
Kugan urged the public to contact the Sabah Forestry Department to clarify any such claims.
He added that the department was also looking into the supposed sale of a plot of land within the Sungai Pinangah Forest Reserve through an online platform.
"This area is under a long-term sustainable licence agreement with approved management plans and is not for sale," he added.
