Sabah DAP opposes graft, thanks CM for safeguarding natural resources

DAP’s Sabah chapter said it is monitoring the corruption scandal in the state and supports the MACC in conducting a thorough investigation of the allegations.

While welcoming Chief Minister Hajiji Noor’s assurance that no mining licences have been issued, it also urged the MACC the prioritise the case and handle it with transparency and integrity.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the decisive actions taken by Hajiji in ensuring that no mining licenses are issued. It is a relief that an extraordinary amount of natural resources has been secured for Sabah’s benefit.

“However, our stance remains firm: DAP being part of the government opposes corruption in any form and believes in justice and fair investigation,” said Sabah DAP secretary Vivian Wong (above) in a statement today.

The statement came a day after Warisan supreme council member Calvin Chong questioned DAP’s silence over the scandal.

Earlier today, Sabah PKR information chief Razeef Rakimin had urged for the Sabah government to be allowed to function as usual pending an investigation, amid calls for Hajiji to step down.

Corruption scandal

The corruption scandal surfaced last month, with former Sabah Mineral Management (SMM) 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 prospecting licence grants the right to explore a specific plot of land for mineral resources. It is a step towards obtaining a separate licence to mine those resources if the presence of economically viable resources is confirmed.

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

Hajiji, however, dismissed the corruption allegations as attempts to destabilise the state government and tarnish its reputation.

He also revealed that no mining licence has been issued.

Instead, 26 prospecting licences had been issued under Section 6 of the Sabah Mining Ordinance 1960 in the past two years.

Of these, two were voluntarily surrendered, one was cancelled and four had expired.

He said this happened due to several reasons, including lack of significant exploration progress within the period, failure to obtain consent from Sustainable Forest Management Licence Agreement holders and the Forestry Department for access to the areas, or because the areas were within Totally Protected Areas or sensitive water catchment zones.

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