'Roblox' KJ says Sabah scandal litmus test for PM, MACC

In the latest edition of their Keluar Sekejap podcast, former minister Khairy Jamaluddin and his co-host Shahril Hamdan immersed themselves into online game platform Roblox’s virtual universe.

Though appearing as virtual avatars - as part of a collaboration with local Roblox games developer D'Blox - the pair continued to share their thoughts on several pertinent issues, including the alleged corruption scandal in Sabah.

Both agreed that the scandal, which has been rocking Chief Minister Hajiji Noor’s administration, would serve as a litmus test for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and MACC.

Khairy pointed out that the government’s commitment to combating corruption would come under the microscope when cases like the Sabah scandal emerge.

“... Especially in the face of what appears to be ‘strong evidence’, there must be an equally strong and robust response (from the government and authorities).

“Because many would argue that investigations are swift in other cases. For example, the FashionValet case. We are not commenting on the innocence or guilt (of those involved) but on the speed (of the investigation).

“But when it involves cases like this (Sabah), where there are political implications or calculations (involved), the pace (of the investigation) appears to be slower,” he added.

A matter of confidence

Earlier, Shahril, who described the videos related to the scandal as “shocking”, said the issue served as a test for several institutions.

“The first is PMX (Anwar) himself,” he said, referring to speculation that the prime minister is hesitant to take action due to political considerations.

“This is the challenge when you make eradicating corruption one of the central pillars of your political identity, you will constantly be tested and scrutinised.

“When one’s tone varies depending on the case - aggressive in certain cases, and less (aggressive) in other cases, it would lead others to speculate,” he added.

At this point, Khairy interjected that the “subtext” is that Anwar needed Sabah’s support, which Shahril conceded is the basis for the speculation.

As for MACC, Shahril pointed out the whistleblower chose to release the videos to Malaysiakini instead of MACC because of his lack of confidence in the commission.

“So it is another test for the institution tasked with fighting corruption to prove their impartiality, and I believe this is what they intend to do,” he added.

Counter-narrative

Shahril also mentioned that there is a counter-narrative to the episode where it is claimed that the videos emerged after Hajiji purportedly prevented a cartel from monopolising the mineral exploration licences in the state.

On Monday, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said 15 individuals had been questioned in regard to the alleged Sabah corruption scandal, including the whistleblower.

“I would like to stress here that some have claimed we never took action but we did,” he said.

On Dec 3, the whistleblower, who is seeking legal immunity under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010,  released the full video recordings implicating several assemblypersons.

The whistleblower claimed the videos document discussions about returning alleged bribes given to the politicians to secure support for a mining exploration licence application.

A day later, Hajiji, who has been facing mounting pressure to step down, dismissed the corruption allegations as attempts to destabilise the state government and tarnish its reputation.

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