Taib suggested that his cousins were using their relationship with him for personal gain. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, March 20 ― The Advocates Association of Sarawak (AAS) will investigate and act against the lawyer featured in a covert video by Global Witness (GW) implicating state Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his family with shady land deals, said a spokesman.
The Sarawak lawyer, identified as Alvin Chong, allegedly represented sisters Fatimah Abdul Rahman and Norlia Abdul Rahman who were recorded in the video describing potentially illegal deals.
Both are daughters of former state chief minister Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’akub and first cousins with the incumbent CM Taib.
“AAS will take appropriate action after due inquiry. One of the possible courses of action is to refer any complaints received on this matter to the Advocates Inquiry Committee,” a spokesman from AAS told The Malaysian Insider by text message.
The Advocates Inquiry Committee is an independent statutory body separate from AAS, consisting senior lawyers from the state appointed by the Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak. The lawyers in both Borneo states are not under the jurisdiction of the Malaysian Bar, which only represents lawyers in the Malay peninsula.
The Malaysian Insider understands that complaints against AAS members can be lodged by the public or its members themselves.
In a 16-minute video clip, GW investigators posing as foreign investors recorded snippets of their conversation with Taib’s cousins and lawyers made under the pretext of purchasing Sarawak land for hefty profit and which the environmental campaigner said would displace thousands of the indigenous people living there.
Chong was recorded in the video giving details of how investors could evade real property gains taxes (RPGT), and circumvent the 51-per-cent Bumiputera equity requirement.
His firm, Alvin Chong and Partners has issued a statement to GW, which was included in the video.
“We categorically deny our Mr Chong acted as legal spokesperson for the alleged party.
“We deny any discussions to allegedly evade tax and if there were any purported discussions these were strictly hypothetical,” the firm said.
Taib also suggested yesterday that his cousins and others implicated in the video expose were promoting themselves to be his agents to solicit favours.
“OK I saw the so-called proof. Could it not be someone who tried to promote themselves to be an agent to get favours from me?
“It has nothing to do with me. I think it is a bit naughty of them. They are using their big powers to blacken my name,” the Sarawak chief minister said when approached by reporters in the state capital Kuching.
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