KOTA KINABALU: A Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) division leader has defended Kemabong assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang following a whistleblower video that suggested the state representative was involved in corruption.
According to Kemabong Gagasan Rakyat Youth information chief Rexy Yankat, the video only showed a discussion about the business that had yet to be finalised.
“I strongly deny that the widely spread video implicated the Kemabong assemblyman with elements of graft,” he said, in a statement on Thursday (Nov 14).
“Fortunately, the assemblyman realised the meeting (with the businessman) was just a waste of time and potentially had bad intentions,” he added.
He issued the statement in the wake of a video from a whistleblower published online by a news portal that allegedly showed Rubin involved in discussions over a mining project.
Rubin was reported to have said earlier on Thursday (Nov 14) that there was no reason for him to be probed, contending there was no element of corruption in the meeting.
The Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) chairman said, however, he was ready to cooperate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if called.
Rexy said Rubin was someone who held strongly to principles of integrity and transparency in doing his work, adding he also prioritised the state’s interest and its people.
As such, he regretted the actions of the news portal for publishing the video without verification from the MACC.
He contended the video was meant to tarnish Rubin’s reputation as well as distract the people from the success achieved by the Sabah government.
“We leave it to the MACC to conduct a fair and transparent investigation to clear the assemblyman’s name,” he said.
The crux of the case revolves around the state government’s approval of prospecting and mining licences for the company linked to the businessman.
Despite that, the state government subsequently withdrew the licences, triggering a conflict between the businessman and the state.
The businessman, who has yet to formally lodge a MACC report, allegedly took secret videos demanding his money back from certain leaders or their alleged proxies, according to sources in the know.
