DAP wants MACC to widen Sabah probe

DAP Sabah vice-chairman says MACC should probe all the others implicated by Jumat in his Facebook postings.

KOTA KINABALU: DAP Sabah has expressed shock that there appears to be more than meets the eye in the case of an Umno divisional leader held last Friday for suspected corruption involving RM300 million.

“Umno Sepanggar divisional chief Jumat Idris posted serious allegations concerning the MACC probe on Facebook on Tuesday at 8.16am,” said DAP Sabah vice-chairman Chan Foong Hin in a statement. “We welcome the MACC probe but Jumat doesn’t seem to think that the body is being a neutral party.”

He was commenting on Jumat’s Facebook posting in the wake of Pensiangan divisional chief Ghani Yassin disclosing that he was the one held last Friday by MACC.

He also welcomed Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman’s statement that “we are a transparent government and have nothing to hide”.

Jumat has alleged, noted Chan, that Ghani is being probed by the MACC in revenge for a ‘transition plan’ drawn up by them and six other divisional leaders for the top leadership of the Sabah government. The plan was reportedly discussed with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on July 10 in Putrajaya.

Jumat has also alleged, continued Chan, that his own file has been sent to the Chief Minister’s office “to find fault” with him.

Chan, who is also the Sri Tanjung Assemblyman, called upon the MACC to probe “big mouth” Jumat’s replies to queries on Facebook and the many personalities and organisations mentioned by him in his posting.

These include, he pointed out, Musa telling off Sabah Speaker Salleh Keruak ‘to his face’ that the latter was ‘corrupt’ and a ‘coward’ plotting with Umno divisional chiefs to overthrow his administration.

“Jumat also alleged that cronyism was obvious in the current administration,” said Chan. “For example, it seems that RM76 million was paid to one Michael Chia’s father by the Sabah Foundation because of Musa’s personal interest.”

Chan has also been left wondering what Jumat meant when he said that Musa and his son Hafiz Yamani “were also involved in many cases, all bigger than Ghani’s”. “He has called for the opening of the file on the Bonggaya Forest Reserve to see who owns 450,000 acres there,” said Chan.

Revisiting the probe on Ghani, Chan is perplexed that an individual who was only a former deputy chairman of the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) could be involved in a multimillion ringgit scandal.

Other names mentioned by Jumat in his Facebook posting are the management of the Sabah Foundation and the Sabah Forestry Director.

Jumat and Ghani aside, the six other Umno divisional leaders in the transition plan are Bolkiah Ismail (Kudat), James Ratib (Beluran), Rubin Balang (Tenom), Sairin Karno (Keningau), John Ambrose (Penampang), and Wetrom Bahanda (Kota Kinabalu).