Behold the RM75.90 camera pen from Shopee rocking Sabah

The pen might be mightier than the sword, but slap on a high-definition camera, and it graduates from a humble writing tool to a full-blown political grenade, which documents scandals and ignites firestorms.

“It cost RM75.90,” revealed the whistleblower who has generated a tempest in Sabah.

Describing the recordings as an “act of desperation”, he also furnished Malaysiakini with a photograph of the pen.

“The (alleged) bribes were given because I was told there is no other alternative when it comes to doing business in Sabah.

“When I lost the licence, I became furious and desperate. I had invested a lot of time and funds into the mining exploration process,” he added.

Drowning his despair in Netflix, the whistleblower said this was when he had an epiphany.

“I got the idea of using the camera pen from a movie. So I searched for it online and found one on (e-commerce platform) Shopee.

“Since I felt I had nothing to lose, I decided to teach these politicians a lesson. I was aware of the risks but at the same time, it was a ‘do or die’ situation.

“This is not just a corruption case, it is a scam,” he added, pointing the finger at Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, who has denied the corruption allegation as well as favouring cronies who purportedly fund his political war chest.

‘Poorest businessperson in M’sia’

Claiming that the “most courageous and cruellest people are those who have lost all their money”, the whistleblower said MACC is welcome to check his financial status.

“They can look into my bank balance. I am the poorest businessperson in Malaysia,” rued the father of two school-going children.

Asked if it was ethical to record private conversations, he retorted: “Is it ethical for politicians to ask for bribes?

“I told these politicians many times that it is not my money alone, the money comes from joint venture partners, I had signed the joint venture agreements. I have a huge responsibility, the partners can sue me. But the politicians did not care about me or my family. So why should I care about them or ethics?” he added.

On the same note, the whistleblower is aware there are those who believe he should not be spared from legal repercussions because he gave the alleged bribes.

“I do not want to make excuses.

“But this is how business is conducted in Malaysia. Ask any businessperson, even those with Tan Sri titles or on the Forbes list. You have to give bribes from top to bottom.

“The bigger your business, the bigger the bribes, the ‘bigger’ the people (those in high positions) who must be paid. Otherwise, close shop and find a normal job.

“Even with normal jobs, some would pay the police ‘duit kopi’ (bribes) to avoid traffic summonses. Is that any different?” he added.

MACC can check if AI used

Quizzed if the videos he released were edited, the whistleblower claimed the recordings were trimmed to highlight the “important parts which are the (alleged) bribes and the abuse of mining licences.”

“I have the full recordings where the conversations drag on. The recordings exceed more than an hour. As mentioned before, I am willing to submit the original recordings to MACC. I am also willing to surrender the pen as evidence.

“The authorities can also check with experts if the recordings were manipulated using AI (artificial intelligence).

“I am contemplating engaging a reputable private firm to authenticate the videos as well, just to be safe in case someone uses the AI excuse again. I plan to consult Tan Sri about this,” he added in reference to veteran lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who is representing him on a pro bono basis.

“I would also like to thank Tan Sri for agreeing to represent me for free after I told him I had no money for his fees,” he said.

Responding to a question on the number of recordings in his possession, the whistleblower declined to provide an exact figure but claimed he had more than a dozen involving different individuals, including politicians.

He refused to comment when asked if he plans to disclose the other videos.

On a lighter note, the whistleblower quipped that following his disclosure, politicians might request businesspersons to leave their pens outside during negotiations in future.

“But there are also cameras fixed to shirt buttons and other James Bond gadgets available online.

“Who knows, perhaps this case will be closed. Sometimes, ‘evidence’ alone is not enough for politicians to face the music in Malaysia.

“But perhaps, there is a silver lining. Perhaps, this case would teach politicians to keep their word and not scam businesspersons,” he added.

Seven videos

Yesterday, the whistleblower released seven videos featuring different assemblypersons in each recording. He also revealed documents regarding the issuance of mineral exploration licences.

Malaysiakini had sighted the seven videos beforehand but not the others that the whistleblower claims to have.

The whistleblower also claims to possess documents, banking details and screenshots of WhatsApp messages to substantiate his allegations.

One of those implicated, state Finance Minister Masidi Manjun claimed that the video featuring him was edited. He denied receiving the alleged RM300,000 bribe.

• Masidi denies 'RM300k in bag' allegation, says he doesn't recall conversation

• Sabah videos Part 3: 'RM400k in cash ma', 'RM360k small amount'

• Sabah videos Part 2: 'RM450k used to settle debts', 'I can return RM500k'

• Sabah videos Part 1: 'RM300k in bag' and 'RM500k in installments'

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