The Sabah scandal: is it about minerals or power?

The Star

17 hours ago

AND just like that, the Sabah minerals controversy took a twist. It was a classic Langkah Billiards, which is my theory of the unintended consequences of creating a political plot to bring down Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, and his Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) government.
On June 28, less than 48 hours before two Sabah YBs and the so-called whistleblower were charged with corruption, six politicians from GRS were implicated. It seemed to me that the intention of revealing their names was the extension of a plot to make the Sabah-based coalition guilty in the court of public perception.
In November last year, the plotters released allegedly doctored videos to implicate 1) Umno assemblymen who did not support ousting Hajiji in January 2023; and 2) the top five leaders of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) – the backbone of the GRS coalition – in an alleged Sabah minerals corruption.
The insider story behind the November 2024 'exposé' is that it was 1) revenge against the Umno assemblymen who supported Hajiji as CM; and 2) to weaken the PGRS leadership (president Hajiji, the deputy president, and the three vice-presidents were implicated).
Those in the know knew that there were other supposedly doctored videos featuring leaders of GRS component parties such as Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Sabah Star. The question was why the plotters did not release the names of the people implicated in those videos.
What's whispered about is that the exposé was the execution of a blackmail plot against Hajiji for not 'behaving' – ie, 'don't approve our prospecting license applications, face a political earthquake'.
The plotters used the same tactic on PBS and Sabah STAR leaders: 'behave' – ie, 'ditch Hajiji and GRS and join us, or be dragged into the Sabah minerals scandal'.
Last week, six top leaders – three from PBS and three from Sabah Star – were dragged into the situation. An anonymous source released their names and alleged their involvement in the controversy.
Since these leaders (one of whom is no longer active in politics) refused to be blackmailed, it looks like the plotters decided to bring down the CM by 'exposing' the two major parties in his coalition.
Now these leaders are being judged in the court of public perception on whether they were involved in receiving bribes or shady political donations.
So what's the latest twist to the PBS and Sabah STAR revelation?
The unintended consequence of the Langkah Billiards is that a new narrative has emerged. It is something that those in the know knew about but did not discuss in the media.
The narrative is personified by Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who doesn't fear political plots as he is a previous Internal Security Act detainee.
Kitingan, who is also Sabah's deputy Chief Minister, told the media that the corruption allegations levelled against his party and himself are part of a broader political conspiracy aimed at destabilising the state government and derailing efforts to strengthen Sabah-based coalitions.
Without naming specific individuals behind the conspiracy, Kitingan said he did not discount the possibility of hidden political motives.
'There appears to be a hidden hand moving and planning things behind the scenes. Only those interested in destroying the government and taking over would resort to such tactics,' he said.
'This is not new, it has been going on for the last 10 years. Same game, nothing surprising.'
For those who have been covering Sabah politics since the rise of PBS in the 1980s, the game has been played by Kuala Lumpur (Putrajaya, nowadays) ever since.
Kitingan's comments to the media has brought to light what was whispered about: that the powers-that-be at the Federal level allegedly want to install a 'Putrajaya-compliant chief minister' – a CM who is supposedly less of a Sabah for Sabahans leader fighting for state rights, including the complete restoration and implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
The unintended consequences of the charges against the two assemblymen is that the other side released information that a Singapore tycoon is under investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for his alleged involvement as a financier in the Sabah mineral scandal. The tycoon is linked to politicians from a national party.
Those in the know know that these non-GRS politicians are involved in the mining controversy, but the plotters have conveniently left them out. They say the scandal is not about corruption per se, it is a political game to wrest power in the state.
If the Sabah CM had 'behaved', we would not be hearing anything about Sabah minerals. It would have been business – and politics – as usual.
Now that Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob (who won the seat under the Warisan ticket and jumped to PGRS), Tanjung Batu assemblyman and Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (a suspended Umno leader) and a businessman have been charged with corruption, it will be the actual courts (not the courts of public perception) that will decide their innocence or guilt.
Their case will probably be heard only after the dissolution of the Sabah state assembly – automatic dissolution is on Nov 11.
However, the game played in the court of public perception will continue until the Sabah polls, for which the assembly will probably be dissolved in September.
In the hands of a spinmaster, the Sabah minerals controversy will be shaped to be a Sabah versus KL fight.