KOTA KINABALU – A PKR division leader has filed a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against a Sabah assemblyman who had applied for a 320-acre plot of land south of the state capital here for a business venture.
The complaint alleges that Nabawan assemblyman Abdul Ghani Mohamed Yassin had applied for the land in his own name, ostensibly to initiate a joint venture with the government-linked Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB).
The report was filed by Pensiangan PKR chief Raymond Ahuar at the Keningau MACC office.
Ahuar asserts that Abdul Ghani exploited his position as the SLDB Chairman to expedite approval for the land application.
“Abdul Ghani claimed to have submitted the land application on behalf of the Nabawan community to prevent external companies from acquiring the land and, purportedly, to fast-track the process for a joint venture with SLDB,” said Ahuar in his report.
The land, about 170km from here, was previously designated as a Class II Forest Reserve, known as the Pensiangan Forest Reserve.
Its reserve status has been revoked but has not yet been officially designated as state-owned land.
At an assembly sitting held in May, Abdul Ghani clarified numerous parties, including large companies from outside Nabawan, have expressed interest in the land.
“The local residents are adamant about preventing this land from falling into the hands of outsiders or external companies,” Abdul Ghani said.
“As a result, they are in the process of applying for the land themselves with the goal of establishing a cooperative for a livestock project in collaboration with SLDB.”
“The cooperative is still in the application phase, and community leaders are concerned about their ability to compete with individuals and companies that possess greater resources and capabilities.
“They approached me and asked whether it would be possible for the application to be temporarily made in my name, with the understanding that ownership would later be transferred to them,” he said. – The Vibes, August 24, 2023
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