Another Sabah state assemblyperson has been appointed to a senior position at a state-owned oil and gas company, despite being implicated in a major corruption scandal over mineral prospecting licences.
Sabah media reported that the state's former deputy chief minister III, Shahelmey Yahya, has been selected as Sabah Oil and Gas Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (SOGDC) chairperson, a position reportedly equivalent to a ministerial role.
SOGDC reportedly said the Putatan assemblyperson's appointment is expected to reinforce the company’s strategic direction.
Following MACC investigations into the said scandal, former assistant minister Andi Suryady Bandy, former Sindumin lawmaker Yusof Yacob, and controversial businessperson Albert Tei were charged in court in June last year.
Others implicated in the scandal are Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, state Deputy Chief Minister I and Works and Utilities Minister Dr Joachim Gunsalam, state Deputy Chief Minister II and Finance Minister Masidi Manjun, state Rural Development Minister Rubin Balang, and state Local Government and Housing Minister Arifin Arif, who is Sabah Governor Musa Aman’s son-in-law.
Also implicated are Shahelmey (above), Tempasuk assemblyperson Arsad Bistari, Kuamut assemblyperson Masiung Banah, and state legislative assembly speaker Kadzim Yahya.
Tei also named several Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) leaders, including its president Jeffrey Kitingan, his former deputy presidents Ellron Alfred Angin and Robert Tawik, former Star president Maximus Ongkili and veteran politician Jahid Jahim.
Shahelmy's appointment came just days after Yusof was appointed as the new Sabah Development Bhd (SDB) chairperson.
Malaysiakini has contacted Shahelmy and is awaiting his comments.
Yusof began his duties at the SDB office in Menara Kinabalu on Jan 13, according to a posting on his Facebook page.
SDB is a government-linked company under the Chief Minister’s Department and the Sabah Finance Ministry.
After Yusof’s appointment, Bersih cautioned that the move could be interpreted as an indication that the corruption scandal plaguing the state would be “swept under the rug”.
Bersih chairperson Faisal Aziz warned that this might erode public confidence towards authorities over a perceived lack of action against implicated individuals.
The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism’s (C4 Center) CEO, Pushpan Murugiah, meanwhile, lamented that an inherent risk of political interference, conflict of interest, and policy capture is created when politicians, especially those facing ongoing criminal proceedings, are appointed to such entities.
Politicians charged
On June 30 last year, Yusof, formerly chairperson of state government investment arm Qhazanah Sabah Bhd, was charged with receiving RM200,000 in cash from Tei.
The bribe, which was allegedly meant to help process a prospecting licence for Syarikat Nusa Kini Sdn Bhd, was allegedly received at the Hilton Hotel’s rooftop bar in Kota Kinabalu on March 6, 2023.
Andi, meanwhile, was accused of receiving RM150,000 in cash from Tei to allegedly facilitate a prospecting licence application for Syarikat Sinaran Hayat Sdn Bhd.
The alleged offence took place on May 12, 2023, at the then-assemblyperson’s residence along Jalan Pantai Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu.
Tei, a whistleblower in the case, was charged with two counts of offering bribes to the assemblypersons under the same legal provision, Section 16(a)(A) of the MACC Act, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the bribe amount or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
On Jan 6, Tei challenged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to demonstrate his commitment to combating corruption by taking action on other politicians implicated in the Sabah mining scandal.
He questioned the credibility of Anwar’s reform agenda, pointing out that despite many exposés, only two out of 15 politicians implicated have been charged in court so far. - Mkini
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