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KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal welcomes any investigation into the 300 million ringgit loan from the State Sabah Development Bank Sdn Bhd (SDB) to low-cost airline AirAsia.
The Semporna deputy said that as a former prime minister and state finance minister, neither he nor anyone in the previous administration had anything to hide about the approved loan, adding that “nothing was hidden either” throughout the process.
“This is because the loan was not approved overnight. Instead, SDB had carried out its own investigation and a thorough risk assessment before deciding to approve the loan.
“AirAsia is a publicly traded company with Bursa Malaysia, therefore approval for any transaction worth RM300 million will only be given after the borrower fulfills all the loan conditions,” Shafie said in a statement. here today.
The Warisan chairman said that as a favorite airline among Malaysians, AirAsia had a development plan that would benefit Sabah, adding that the airline aimed to create 100,000 job opportunities in the state.
“As a state manager, we cannot depend on just one company, like Malaysia Airlines. The role of other companies, especially AirAsia, should not be underestimated.
“In line with that, as the government responsible for the development of the economy, close cooperation with AirAsia was needed because if their plan worked, Sabahans would reap the benefits.”
Earlier today, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Sabah had confirmed that it had launched an investigation into SDB’s loan to AirAsia to establish whether there were elements of corruption involved.
A local newspaper reported that Chief Minister Hajiji Noor also ordered an investigation into how the 300 million ringgit approved by SDB, under the previous Warisan-led administration, were quickly disbursed to AirAsia after the government of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah took over. the control.
Meanwhile, Shafie revealed that AirAsia had planned several projects in the state capital, including a storage facility for agricultural products known as “OurFarm.”
He added that this was in line with the airlines’ goal of becoming the main distributor of fishery agricultural products that would be traded through e-commerce channels.
The Senallang Assemblyman said AirAsia also planned to spend RM110 million to develop Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) as its international hub.
“All of these plans will surely benefit Sabah as a state rich in agricultural and fisheries resources.
“In fact, when I was prime minister, the 2021-2030 agricultural development action plan was launched to make Sabah a distributor of agricultural products in addition to ensuring the country’s food security,” he said.
Shafie said that by creating a product supply chain, Sabahan farmers will be able to generate more income with a greater market reach internationally through AirAsia.
In the tourism industry, he said Sabah’s glory days as a tourist destination will be restored if AirAsia’s goal of making the state its international hub becomes a reality.
“We know that before Covid-19 hit, Sabah’s economy had grown rapidly in the tourism sector and people were enjoying the unexpected economic benefits, not only in Kota Kinabalu, but as far as the east coast of the state.”
