KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno has urged Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and other assemblymen implicated in the mineral prospecting graft claims to lodge a report over the allegations.
Its information chief Datuk Suhaimi Nasir said they should also consider filing lawsuits to communicate that fake accusations would not be tolerated.
“I urge the Chief Minister and the assemblymen to take firm action over the serious accusations made by a whistleblower against the Sabah government,” he said in a statement here on Friday (Dec 6).
“This firm action is necessary to ensure the people continue to respect and believe in the Sabah government,” he added.
This comes in the wake of statements issued by Sabah Umno’s Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings on Wednesday (Dec 4) on the deepening scandal involving state-owned Sabah Minerals Management Sdn Bhd's (SMM) issuance of prospecting licences.
The wings have asked Hajiji to step aside and allow “a free and independent” investigation into mineral prospecting graft claims.
The call by Youth chief Sufian Abd Karim, Wanita chief Datuk Noraini Idris and Puteri head Ummi Nabila Jamal came as eight videos uploaded by a businessman in the so-called "whistleblower case" claim irregularities in the issuance of licences.
A businessman is seen in the videos having conversations with eight assemblymen, including three ministers, purportedly about mineral prospecting licences that reflected alleged previous payments.
Some of the assemblymen implicated have said that the videos were edited to put them in a bad light.
Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Youth chief Datuk Fairuz Renddan, in an immediate response, dismissed the call for Hajiji, who is also Gagasan Rakyat president, to step aside as there was no regulation or law for it.
He said it was best left to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as an independent body to fully investigate the matter raised by the businessman.
Fairuz said Hajiji had clearly said the state government has “nothing to hide”. – Bernama
