KOTA KINABALU – A former Dewan Rakyat speaker said there was likely no elements of nepotism in the alleged Kudat land deal, where Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor is accused of abusing his power to approve the alienation of land to a Sarawakian businessman.
Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, who is also Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) deputy chairman, said the accusers should have come forward and publicly expressed their concerns if they saw something not right in the said land deal.
“Hold a press conference and state what things are wrong in connection with the chief minister’s administration. Don’t hide behind social media, where the name or identity of the accusing party is not known,” he told journalists at a press conference.
Hajiji recently denied abusing his position as the Sabah chief minister to approve 2,993 acres of land in Kudat, north of Sabah, after allegations surfaced on Edisi Panas Sabah along with documents to back up the claim.
It is understood that the land was alienated to a businessman from Sarawak to start a goat farm on the island, according to Pandikar, identifying the businessman as Datuk Seri Thomas Hah.
The Usno president said Hajiji’s accusers should be more responsible as their actions could destroy a political career, citing the cattle-and-condominium scandal linked to former minister Tan Sri Sharizat Jalil in 2011 as a similar incident.
“Sadly, the damage was already done. It is an action that could ruin the political careers of innocent individuals,” he said.
Pandikar said he does not know about the matter in depth, but said that the businessman was genuine.
He said a portion of the land was approved by the government to the Sabah Economic Development Corporation and Yayasan Sabah while some was state land.
Pandikar said initially the Sabah government during the Warisan era had entered into a deal with another Sarawakian company to mine silica but that was cancelled by the present state government under GRS.
The reason for the cancellation was due to the company’s failure to meet requirements. – The Vibes, October 11, 2023
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