The environmental NGO, Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF) is urging the London-based law firm Miscon de Reya to drop Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his family as their clients.

NONE It notes that the law firm had been working with Taib since 2011, when it threatened to sue online news portal Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle Brown ( left ) on behalf of Taib's son-in-law Sean Murray over its reports on some of Taib's family businesses.

"The Bruno Manser Fund calls on Mishcon de Reya to drop the Sarawak Chief Minister and his family members as their clients and to stop intimidating journalists who are doing their professional duties," the NGO said in a statement yesterday.

More recently, Miscon de Reya issued a statement denying allegations of corruption in Sarawak, following the NGO ‘Global Witness' sting operation made public on March 19.

"The government of Sarawak issues licences for land in very controlled circumstances... this is an administrative exercise, not political patronage.

"Our client never demands or accepts bribes for the grant of licences and leases," Taib's lawyers were quoted as saying in British daily The Independent .

BMF questioned this and challenged Mishcon de Reya to provide an explanation.

NONE It claims that despite these controls, "close to 200,000 hectares of Sarawak state lands ended up in the hands of oil palm plantation companies in which Taib family members have a known business interest."

Global Witness' video of the sting purportedly shows Taib's kin and business associates abusing logging licences.

Taib has since denied the allegations, claiming that the accused parties do not have the right to act as his agents and the video was merely a smear campaign against him.