Former Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s failure to respond to allegations in Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) executive director Lukas Straumann’ book is acknowledgment that the contents are indeed true, said the latter.

 

Straumann, through his book titled Money Logging: On the Trail of the Asian Timber Mafia, had been accused of defaming Taib.

 

In his letter to Mischon de Reya Solicitors, of which Taib is its client in the United Kingdom, Straumann pointed out that Taib had failed to bring about legal proceedings against him.

 

“From your client’s failure to bring about legal proceedings against myself and or my book, it is concluded that your client is unable to prove that my book is defamatory and that he thus acknowledges that my book is entirely fact-based and true,” Straumann wrote.

 

As such, Straumann invited Taib to give a public explanation during Straumann’s book launch on Jan 16 in London, on how the long-serving former chief minister acquired his wealth.

 

“Should your client fail to appear, we will conclude that he silently accepts the allegations in my book,” he said.

 

The executive director said that Mischon de Reya Solicitors had repeatedly claimed in legal letters sent to various media in the UK and in Canada that Taib is “independently wealthy”.

 

“But you have failed to substantiate how your client might have obtained his wealth in a lawful way,” Straumann said.

 

His  book  implicates Taib and his family in corruption, money laundering and abuse of power in the state’s logging industry, although they had consistently  denied  any wrongdoing.