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‘Brace for surge in unverified graft claims ahead of polls'

‘Brace for surge in unverified graft claims ahead of polls'

The Star21 hours ago
KOTA KINABALU: More unverified news accusing politicians of corrupt practices are expected in the coming months, following the latest claims that Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Sabah Star leaders were also part of the ongoing mining scandal, says Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (pic).
The Sabah Star president said that with the state election approa­ching, it is unsurprising that certain groups or parties are attemp­ting to exploit these issues in the hope of altering the political landscape in Sabah.
As one of those recently accused of involvement in the scandal, Kitingan stated that he would not hesitate to pursue legal action against anyone disseminating false information, including the online news portal that published the allegations.
'From the start of this scandal, the whistleblower had himself cleared PBS and Sabah Star from being involved,' he said.
An online news portal reported that Kitingan received RM1.78mil from mining activities, a claim that he has denied.
In emphasising that neither he nor his party is involved in this scandal, he called on authorities, particularly the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
'As a strong supporter of the Nature Conservation Agreement (NCA), I must stress that mining is not in line with the conservation agenda,' Kitingan said.
He added that attempts to des­tabilise the state government had been taking various forms since the 1960s.
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