KOTA KINABALU – Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan has described Al Jazeera’s report on a controversial Sabah carbon trade deal as distorted, saying it was written entirely based on the words of a “whistle-blower”.
In a statement, he said that the international news outlet should have double-checked the facts with the state government instead of running false allegations made by an individual hell-bent on discrediting the Nature Conservation Agreement (NCA).
Kitingan also accused the same whistle-blower of also allegedly misleading and exploiting former senator Adrian Lasimbang.
“Clearly, both Al Jazeera and Lasimbang formed their opinions on the topic based on lies and falsehood fed to them by an individual whose motive is to gain political mileage and instigate the indigenous communities by defaming me,” he said.
Kitingan said Al Jazeera also took pleasure in defaming him based on information provided by the whistle-blower without bothering to investigate the truth.
The Tambunan assemblyman has come under fire lately over the controversial agreement with Singapore-based company Hoch Standard Pte Ltd.
The deal would see the state handing over the rights of Sabah's two million hectares of totally protected forests to Hoch Standard for the purpose of carbon trading for 100 years.
Former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal had lambasted Kitingan over the issue, claiming that the agreement has been sealed without public consultation and that the firm, which has never done any carbon trading before, raises pertinent questions.
The deal was signed by the Sabah Chief Conservator of Forests Datuk Frederick Kugan, and was witnessed by Kitingan and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor in October.
Kugan has noted in the report that he was “pressured” to sign the agreement, knowing the NCA was “incomplete.”
Similarly, Merotai assemblyman Sarifuddin Hata said a simple search on companies in Singapore clearly shows that Hoch Standard only has a paid-up capital of US$1,000 (RM4,179.50) and has no evident record in carbon trading.
“I was there at the sitting of the Sabah assembly in December and witnessed Jeffrey saying its paid-up capital was US$10 million.
“Jeffrey must explain why he failed to tell the truth in the assembly instead of misleading the house and the people by claiming the company had US$10 million as paid-up capital,” said Sarifuddin, who was previously assistant finance minister, in a statement earlier today. – The Vibes, February 4, 2022
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