Warisan vice-president Terrence Siambun has highlighted the contrasting developments between the two Borneo states, Sabah and Sarawak.
He noted that Sarawak is poised to become the first Malaysian state to own an airline and had announced its name, AirBorneo.
“The Gabungan Parti Sarawak government has created a historic moment by successfully owning its own airline, a meaningful achievement for the people of Sarawak.
“This is a proud achievement,” he said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Sarawak formalised its takeover of MASwings Sdn Bhd from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), with the airline to be renamed AirBorneo with the transfer of ownership expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
On the other hand, Terrence, in a sarcastic jab, remarked that the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government had also made a “historic” achievement with its “Borneo Corruption Scandal”.
“The failure of the Sabah GRS government has also made history, with 18 assemblypersons involved in the (alleged) largest corruption scandal in Sabah’s history.
“An act that is highly disgraceful to the people of Sabah,” he added.
‘Too little’
Terrence was commenting on MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki stating that investigations into the scandal are being hindered by the lack of information.
Yesterday, Azam said that the whistleblower, who released the videos to Malaysiakini, is still unwilling to surrender the recordings to MACC.
“What has been published (in Malaysiakini) is ‘terlalu sedikit’ (too little),” he said.
Azam’s remarks faced criticism from multiple quarters, including Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking, who dismissed them as “nonsense,” DAP lawmaker Ramkarpal Singh, who called them “absurd,” and PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan, who wryly suggested there is enough material for a Netflix series.
Previously, Azam’s predecessor, Latheefa Koya, said the videos showed “clear evidence” of corruption and completely satisfied the definition of “gratification” under Section 23 of the MACC Act.
Corruption scandal
Since November, Malaysiakini has released over eight videos and a trove of WhatsApp screenshots connected to the case. The whistleblower also claims to have more videos and evidence in his possession.
The whistleblower, a businessperson, claimed that the videos captured discussions about bribes he offered to several assemblypersons in exchange for mineral exploration licences.
During the discussions, the assemblypersons, including those with senior portfolios, also implicated Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor in allegedly distributing licences as “gifts” in exchange for their support during the state’s 2022 political crisis.
Hajiji has dismissed the allegations as an attempt to tarnish his administration, suggesting that the whistleblower is collaborating with parties with vested interests.
MACC has also investigated allegations that the businessperson is part of a cartel attempting to monopolise mining in the state and had engaged in fraudulent activities. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.