Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem issued a stern warning at a gathering of timber tycoons today, telling them "not to mess with him".

 

Adenan, who took over as chief minister in March, is quoted in The Star Online as issuing this warning when asking the six big timber tycoons in the state to sign an integrity pledge.

 

According to the site, the six companies are KTS Group of Companies, Rimbunan Hijau, Samling, Shin Yang, Ta Ann and WTK Holdings Bhd.

 

Adenan said he will rope in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to stem corruption which he described as "very bad" in the timber industry. 

 

"Some, of course not all, pretend they don't know. The reason is very simple; either they are stupid, cowards or corrupt," Adenan said before a surprised audience comprising his cabinet ministers,and some of Sarawak's richest individuals.

The Sarawak chief minister further warned he will “put the fear of God into people who are dishonest”.

Adenan’s warning today comes after the state announced a freeze in the issuance of new timber logging permits last month.

He also warned the state's enforcement officers, telling them he would no longer tolerate those “who have eyes but are blind, have ears but are deaf and have mouths but are dumb”.

Without mincing his words, he added: "Some (enforcement officers) have said they are afraid of gangsters, that they are afraid of receiving bullets in the mail. Well, you tell them, ‘Adenan told you to enforce the law’. No more excuses not to do anything.”

More national parks for Sarawak

Adenan, who has a degree in law and was previously a federal minister in charge of natural resources and environment, said he could no longer tolerate corruption as it has resulted in the state losing revenue and tarnishing its reputation internationally because “this robbery is carried out in broad daylight”.

On the MACC, Adenan said he was certain the corruption-fighting body would be making more arrests.

“I mean what I say. I do not ‘cakap sahaja’ (talk only), no action... The state of corruption is very bad. Very bad. I cannot tolerate it anymore.”

Training his sights on civil servants, Adenan promised he would go after them and require them to attend talks by MACC and also get his cabinet members to sign the integrity pledge that he has signed.

The Sarawak government under him, he added, would create and gazette more forests as national parks.

"I will create more national parks, more than the United Nations requirement of 10 per cent (of the state’s land mass).”

Sarawak at present has 30 national parks, six wildlife sanctuaries and eight nature reserves.