Deputy Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Huang Tiong Sii said he had inked documents to relinquish his position in the logging firm MM Golden (M) Sdn Bhd on Dec 6, three days before he was appointed.
He told Malaysiakini this in response to accusations of conflict of interest since he is the director of the Sarawak-based firm which has been implicated in illegal logging activities and intimidation of locals.
“By Dec 6, I signed the documents and passed them to the audit firm, who will then give them to the lawyers before sending them to SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia).
“If SSM does not sight these documents, the names cannot be changed. I promise that I have resigned and the documents are already there.
“I have followed the law, what people say is their issue. We do not want to hide, because it will only cause problems later,” said the 53-year-old GPS leader.
Huang’s eldest daughter Qian Wen was also appointed as a director of MM Golden on Sept 16, 2018, according to Malaysiakini’s checks.
Both father and daughter are also shareholders of MM Golden, with the former holding 99.5 percent of shares and the latter 0.5 percent.
The controversy over Huang’s appointment was first highlighted when a Sarawak Report article from 2016 resurfaced on social media.
The report alleged that MM Golden set up a logging camp next to the highly controversial Baram dam site, a project in Sarawak which was cancelled in March 2016.
The project was cancelled after the villagers of Long Keseh, Long Na’ah, and Long Tap took the government to court on the two gazettes for the Baram Dam.
The gazettes were for the dam site and the land acquired for the dam reservoir when it was impounded.
At that point, Huang was former Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem’s candidate for the Repok seat during the state polls.
He won the seat and has been the Repok assemblyperson for two terms.
‘There must be a better MP’
Earlier this week, the Association for the Protection of Natural Heritage of Malaysia (Peka) president Damien Thanam Divean asked Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to explain Huang’s appointment, questioning how it would benefit Malaysia on the local and international stage.
“We understand that based on the unprecedented GE15 results, Anwar needs support from Sabah and Sarawak MPs to form and run his administration as the prime minister.
“But, there must be at least one other MP from Sarawak with better qualifications and background compared to the one appointed as the deputy to (Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister) Nik Nazmi (Nik Ahmad),” he said.
Damien also questioned Huang’s potential contributions towards the ministry, following MM Golden’s previous alleged entanglements with the Orang Asli communities in Baram.
The Peka president was referring to the Sarawak Report article which also claimed that MM Golden intimidated residents of Long Keseh and Long Na’ah who protested against the construction of the Baram dam.
Huang, however, denied the allegations made in the report.
Meanwhile, Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa) claimed that Huang’s appointment was a controversial act that could affect reform efforts towards sustainable management of the environment and natural resources.
Perlantikan DS Huang Tiong Sii yg merupakan seorang taikun balak sebagai Timbalan Menteri Kementerian Sumber Asli, Alam Sekitar & Perubahan Iklim, merupakan tindakan kontroversi yg mampu gagalkan usaha reformasi ke arah pengurusan alam sekitar & sumber asli secara lestari <...> pic.twitter.com/e3MA0Os8cn
— Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam - KUASA (@aktivis_alam) December 14, 2022
It also claimed Huang owned a timber business concession in Papua New Guinea. - Mkini
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