KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal strongly denied allegations that he was involved in the write-off of RM178mil in non-performing loans (NPLs) during his tenure as Sabah chief minister and Sabah Development Bank (SDB) Board of Directors’ chairman.
The opposition Parti Warisan president described the allegations published by an online portal as “malicious and baseless”, asserting that not a single NPL was written off under his watch.
“These accusations are outright lies, manufactured with the intent to deceive the public and destroy my credibility,” he said in a statement on Thursday (June 19).
Shafie clarified that as chief minister, he had no involvement in the day-to-day operations or specific loan arrangements at the bank.
“Public institutions must be governed by professional processes, not political interference. I respected those boundaries and expected the bank’s management to uphold their fiduciary duty to the people of Sabah,” he said.
He slammed what he called “calculated distortions” designed to smear him ahead of the looming state election, adding that the claim he wrote off loans to a politically connected firm, CASH Bhd, was entirely untrue.
“In fact, during my administration, I took every step necessary to recover problematic loans, not cover them up. Writing off NPLs recklessly would have been irresponsible and a betrayal of public trust,” he said.
Shafie also questioned why the current Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government, which has been in power for nearly five years, failed to launch a forensic audit or lodge reports with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2021, when the issue supposedly occurred.
“If wrongdoing really occurred, why wait until now to bring it up? This is not about justice, but about politics. This is a desperate attempt to shift blame and distract from their failures,” he stressed.
Shafie warned that he will not hesitate to take legal action to protect his name and integrity.
“I welcome any impartial investigation. But I will not remain silent while lies are repeated and recycled for political convenience,” he said.
