Whistleblower: Rubin made misleading statements on business interests

Summary

• The whistleblower in the Sabah corruption scandal accuses Kemabong assemblyperson Rubin Balang of misleading statements about his business interests.

• The whistleblower claims Rubin’s company, which holds a coal mining exploration licence for a 2,000ha area in Tongod, lists his children as directors and shareholders.

• Mining exploration licences granted as “gifts” to assemblypersons during the 2022 political crisis to secure support for Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, with Rubin reportedly acknowledging his request for two licences but receiving one.

EXCLUSIVE | The whistleblower at the centre of the Sabah corruption scandal has reiterated that he did not offer a bribe to Kemabong assemblyperson Rubin Balang.

However, he accused the veteran politician of making “misleading” statements about his business interests.

This is in relation to Rubin (above) claiming, in a video published by Malaysiakini on Nov 13, that he resigned from Wawasan Pembangunan Desa Permai Sdn Bhd, after being appointed as Sabah Economic Development Corporation (Sedco) chairperson in December 2020 following the state election.

The whistleblower had stated in the video: “I checked Datuk’s (Rubin’s) company. I saw your children’s names, but a few months before that, it was your name.”

Rubin replied: “I had to resign because the chief minister appointed me with ministerial status. I get everything a minister does - salary, privileges, all of it.”

The whistleblower claimed that the company in question holds a licence for coal mining exploration covering a 2,000ha area in the Tongod district.

He alleged that a review of the documents showed the licence approval letter from the Land and Survey Department was dated July 14, 2022.

Additionally, he claimed information retrieved from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) system on March 6, 2023, indicated that Rubin was still the majority shareholder of the company at the time, holding 58 percent of its shares.

The remaining 42 percent of the shares are allegedly owned by one of Rubin’s sons, while both his sons serve as directors of the company.

The whistleblower provided Malaysiakini with supporting documents to back these allegations.

He also pointed out that, according to regulations, assemblypersons - particularly those in ministerial-level positions- are prohibited from engaging in business activities or holding licences that may pose a conflict of interest.

In the video, the businessperson had offered Rubin RM3 million to acquire the latter’s company but the politician was displeased with the amount, and dismissed it as “wasting my time”.

Two licences

In the same recording, Rubin acknowledged that he had requested two mining exploration licences from Chief Minister Hajiji Noor but was granted only one.

The whistleblower’s videos suggested that mineral exploration licences were granted as “gifts” to several assemblypersons in exchange for their support of Hajiji during the 2022 political crisis.

Malaysiakini is contacting Rubin for a response.

Last month in response to Malaysiakini's video, the Gagasan Rakyat Sabah vice-president revealed that the procedures to secure approval for mining operations in the state are tedious.

“My first child (not Tenom MP Riduan Balang) has a background and knowledge in mining, and I know that he had made an application for mining during Musa Aman’s administration.

“At that time, there was neither a committee nor a (state) department established, as there were no experienced officers.

“But when officers with better experience from working in the federal government were deployed back to Sabah, the state government under the leadership set up the said department.”

Rubin said despite this, the process remained costly and could drag on for several years.

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