KOTA KINABALU: Newly suspended National Farmers Organisation (Nafas) general manager Muhammad Faris Arriffin denies accusations of misconduct related to the mismanagement of organisational funds.
“I, Faris Arriffin, Nafas general manager, acknowledge the media statement made by several Nafas directors. The allegations raised were made before any internal review process had begun," he said in a statement reported by Berita Harian on Wednesday (Oct 23).
Faris, who is also the Federal Territories Amanah Youth chief, stressed that all initiatives under his leadership aligned with the government's reform agenda, which emphasises transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
"The decision to issue this statement before initiating the proper internal processes has affected the progress of these reforms," he added.
"My priority is to uphold the principles of good governance, and I am confident that Nafas will continue to operate with integrity in the interest of all stakeholders."
Muhammad Faris was appointed to the position in March last year.
The Nafas board of directors, led by chairman Datuk Zamri Yaakob, announced Muhammad Faris's suspension on Tuesday (Oct 22) following allegations of governance misconduct related to the mismanagement of organisational funds.
The suspension decision followed findings of governance violations related to Nafas’ finances, which are funds owned by the organisation's members.
Nafas will now form a special team to thoroughly investigate the breaches and review all findings related to the matter.
One of the key allegations is that Muhammad Faris authorised the allocation of Nafas funds to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) unrelated to the state farmers' organisation, without the knowledge of the board.
