Kelantan Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob wants carbon trading firm Climate Protectors Sdn Bhd to take action against cryptocurrency firm EcoBit.

In a Harakah report today, Ahmad said Climate Protectors must take appropriate action against EcoBit, after Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) allegedly placed both companies on the Consumer Financial Alert list.

"We ask any party involved, if there is any relation between CP (Climate Protectors) and EcoBit, the company must take action on EcoBit because we (the Kelantan state government) did not sign any agreements with EcoBit," the menteri besar was quoted as saying by the PAS mouthpiece.

The CEO of Carbon Protectors, Tang Too Siah, also reportedly holds a senior position in EcoBit.

Malaysiakini has contacted Tang for a response. 

Ahmad had denied the state government had anything to do with the deposit collection and urged those who had given their money to lodge police reports.

He had explained that the state government had signed a deal with Climate Protectors on Jan 9 to initiate a carbon trading programme, which he described as an incentive mechanism to encourage developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas production by preserving their forests.

He said that preserving forests would help absorb greenhouse gases and ensure environmental stability, secure clean water sources and preserve biological diversity.

Former Kelantan exco member Husam Musa at a press conference on July 3 raised concerns about the Kelantan government's engagement of Climate Protectors for its carbon trading plan, following the BNM red flag.

Tang has said that his company may take legal action against Husam for his comments.