I was the first politician to back you, DAP MP reminds Albert

DAP lawmaker Lim Lip Eng has reminded businessperson Albert Tei that he was the first politician to publicly support him when the Sabah mining scandal was first exposed, implicating more than a dozen Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) politicians, allies of Pakatan Harapan.

He was responding to Tei’s claim that DAP had remained silent on the issue while praising PAS and Bersatu for their support.

Lim recalled he had pledged to present the evidence and reveal the names of those involved in Parliament when Tei (above, right) anonymously first exposed the scandal through Malaysiakini last November.

“In fact, a news editor had even arranged a meeting between Tei and me - but the meeting never took place. So here’s an important question for Tei: Why did you refuse to cooperate with me back then?

“If Tei had provided the information and evidence to me last November, I would have certainly brought the matter to Parliament for disclosure and demanded government action. It’s very likely that Tei would not have been charged in court had he channelled the information properly, as I had offered,” he added.

Lim also pointed out that when the scandal first surfaced, PAS and Bersatu were silent, only stepping into the fray later as “political actors” when they saw an opportunity to exploit it.

“DAP’s consistent stance against corruption needs no defending. We do not wait for an issue to become politically convenient before demonstrating our commitment,” he said.

DAP and GRS are allies at both the federal and state levels and are set to face off in the Sabah state election on Nov 29.

Shielding politicians

Critics have accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Harapan chairperson, of shielding GRS politicians from investigation despite Tei having furnished video recordings, WhatsApp screenshots, and documents to substantiate his claims.

In July, Tei and two assemblypersons - Andi Suryandy Bandy and Yusof Yacob - were charged in connection with the scandal.

Tei had alleged that the politicians received bribes in exchange for mineral exploration licences.

Lim’s remarks come ahead of a protest scheduled outside the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya tomorrow, dubbed “Tangkap Jerung” (Net the Sharks), calling on authorities to act against all politicians implicated in the scandal.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that Tei had also released another video allegedly implicating caretaker state Youth and Sports Minister Ellron Angin.

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