Sabah DAP Youth has urged Chief Minister Hajiji Noor to reconsider appointing Yusof Yacob as head of a Sabah government-linked company (GLC).
The wing’s chief Chan Loong Wei warned that installing Yusof while he faces a corruption case could erode public confidence and cast doubt on the government’s commitment to transparency and good governance.
“Appointing an individual with an active court case to a GLC board raises serious concerns over integrity, public trust, and the credibility of the government,” Chan (above) said in a statement.
Chan noted that the appointment contradicts the chief minister’s own stated vision for Sabah’s GLCs.
In an earlier statement, Hajiji had emphasised the need to restructure these entities to strengthen corporate governance, inject new leadership, and ensure they are managed by competent, professional, and results-oriented individuals in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 agenda.
“The chief minister has repeatedly stressed that GLCs should be led by competent and credible leadership to serve as effective economic catalysts for the people and the state. This appointment does not reflect those aspirations,” Chan said.
Chan reiterated that new GLC appointments should exclude individuals convicted in court or facing serious legal proceedings, urging the Sabah government to remain accountable to the people.
“Reform must be reflected through action. Otherwise, such appointments will only undermine public trust and the integrity of the administration,” he added.
Malaysiakini previously reported that Yusof, the former Sindumin assemblyperson, has been appointed chairperson of Sabah Development Bhd, a GLC under the Chief Minister’s Department and Sabah Finance Ministry.
Implicated politicians
Yusof is among more than a dozen politicians from Hajiji’s Gabungan Rakyat Sabah coalition implicated by businessperson Albert Tei in a mining scandal.
On June 30 last year, Yusof - who previously chaired state investment arm Qhazanah Sabah Bhd - was charged with receiving RM200,000 in cash from Tei.
The bribe, allegedly meant to help process a prospecting licence for Syarikat Nusa Kini Sdn Bhd, was reportedly handed over at the Hilton Hotel rooftop bar in Kota Kinabalu on March 6, 2023.
The scandal has also been linked to DAP losing all eight seats it contested in last November’s Sabah state election. Following the defeat, DAP’s top leadership pledged to accelerate promised reforms within six months.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed accusations of shielding other GRS politicians from prosecution, saying the cases are still under review by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
In the state polls, eight implicated GRS leaders, including senior figures, retained their state seats.
Apart from Yusof, former state assistant minister Andi Suryady Bandy was also charged in connection with the mining scandal. - Mkini
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