Sabah deputy CM slams suggestions he should replace Hajiji

Amid the ongoing Sabah corruption scandal, Deputy Chief Minister I Jeffrey Kitingan denounced a suggestion that he should lead the state as interim chief minister.

The Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president, responding to Umno Youth treasurer Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar, pointed out that nobody has been brought to court over the issue.

“It is certainly not fair to bring my name up and create confusion, division, and speculation among Gabungan Rakyat Sabah members… or perhaps that is the name of the game?” he told Free Malaysia Today.

Yesterday, Naim said Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, whose name was tied to the scandal, should step down “with dignity”, along with several state ministers and GLC chairpersons.

Naim, who is also the Kinabatangan Umno Youth chief, noted that the scandal has severely damaged Sabah’s reputation and resulted in a “deficit of trust” among foreign investors, the public, and other stakeholders.

The call for Hajiji to step aside also came from Umno at the national level via party Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

The corruption scandal surfaced last month, with former Sabah Mineral Management (SMM) Sdn Bhd CEO Jontih Enggihon accusing Hajiji of abusing his power as the SMM chairperson.

In a video recorded on Oct 1, Jontih claimed Hajiji interfered with the selection process for prospecting licences to favour a specific contractor.

The video was one of several released by a whistleblower, implicating Sabah lawmakers in a series of corruption allegations.

On Wednesday (Dec 4), Hajiji dismissed the corruption allegations as attempts to destabilise the state government and tarnish its reputation.

According to Hajiji, the videos were maliciously edited and the allegations are unfounded.

The same day, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth chief Christopher Mandut called on Sabah Umno to reassess its stance following calls from the state party’s Wanita and Puteri wings for Hajiji to step down.

Mandut pointed out that Sabah Umno chairperson Bung Moktar Radin and his wife Zizie Izette Abdul Samad are also embroiled in a corruption case related to Felcra Bhd investments.

In response, Bung fired back with a sharp rebuke, telling Mandut to “belajar dulu” (learn first) and to avoid engaging in politics if he is “brainless”.

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