KOTA KINABALU – A war of words broke out over the controversial Nature Conservation Agreement (NCA) when Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said opposition leader Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal should retract his claim that state land has been sold to a third party.
While saying he will not retract his claim, Shafie demanded that Kitingan clarify whether the deal was approved by the Sabah cabinet and whether Kitingan had been given the authority to see it through.
Kitingan instead decided to proceed with the reading of his winding-up ministerial speech when Shafie interjected again, forcing Deputy Speaker Datuk Ahmad Abdul Rahman to silence both lawmakers.
Ahmad said both leaders must show decorum, and asked Kitingan to answer the questions posed by the Sabah opposition leader.
Kitingan then said he has locus standi, as he was instructed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to realise the agreement.
“The cabinet has agreed to the carbon trade deal and the chief minister has given me the responsibility to see through the deal,” he said.
Shafie questioned how Kitingan – who is also agriculture and fisheries minister – was given the authority, when forestry comes under the authority of the chief minister.
Kitingan noted the carbon trade deal came during the Warisan-led administration, to which Shafie responded that indeed, the NCA came during his time as chief minister, but he had rejected it.
Kitingan then accused Shafie of lying, resulting in a second verbal match between the two leaders.
Shafie questioned the authenticity of the Sabah Attorney-General’s (AG) Chambers’ viral letter. Kitingan admitted that it is authentic, but said the AG had not been informed of the addendum to the carbon trade deal.
“The matter was resolved after the addendum was presented to the AG,” he said.
When Shafie pressed on as to who had signed the NCA, Jeffrey said the deal was endorsed by Sabah chief forest conservator Datuk Frederick Kugan, while holding the agreement in his hands.
Kitingan came under fire after news portal Mongabay reported that the state government had signed in secrecy a carbon trade deal on October 30 with Singapore-based firm Hoch Standard Pte Ltd.
The deal would see up to two million ha of Sabah’s totally protected areas come under the NCA. Revenue generated from blockchain trading is to be split 70:30, with Sabah reaping the larger profit from the agreement.
Kitingan then said he would no longer allow interjections in order to finish his speech, as several opposition leaders also tried – and failed – to interject.
Shafie had on Monday called for the state to be more transparent on the carbon trade deal.
Subsequently, the deputy speaker advised that there is no need for lawmakers to say nasty words, as this would tarnish the sanctity of the state assembly. – The Vibes, December 8, 2021
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