PARTI Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan) has come to the defence of its leader, caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, following claims linking him to a mining scandal circulating on social media.
Its information chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan said the social media post implying that Hajiji had met controversial businessman Albert Tei to discuss a mining venture was part of a coordinated perception campaign aimed at tarnishing the Chief Minister’s reputation.
Nizam said the now viral photo is nothing but a coordinated attempt to discredit Hajiji.
He said Hajiji, as the state’s chief executive, frequently meets stakeholders from various sectors including investors and community leaders, as part of his duties.
“These are official meetings attended by senior officers. The Chief Minister has never denied knowing or having met Albert Tei.
“But the post was clearly crafted to politicise a normal official engagement. It’s irresponsible and designed to mislead the public,” he said in a statement from Kota Kinabalu on Friday.
Nizam said Hajiji had been transparent in his approach and had instructed the authorities to carry out a full investigation, assuring that the state government would give its full cooperation.
“All allegations must be proven through the proper legal process, not through slander and social media theatrics,” he said.
Nizam also referred to a local news report quoting a source who claimed that Tei had staged an incident at Kota Kinabalu International Airport ahead of his corruption case mentioned in court.
“It’s very clear Albert himself played a central role in creating this perception drama. He had planned it in advance, entering Sabah claiming he was only meeting a friend, but without showing any court summons,” Nizam said.
He alleged that Tei’s actions formed part of a “malicious scheme” to confuse the public and create sympathy by implying political interference in his case.
“This is no longer the act of a person being victimised, but a calculated operation to divert attention from the investigations against him,” he said. - October 24, 2025
