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PETALING JAYA: Former Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman criticized his successor, Shafie Apdal, for his allegation that Musa and his relatives had obtained a 100-year contract for the land that belonged to Yayasan Sabah.
Musa said he had no choice but to take legal action over the Warisan president’s indictment, adding that he had previously sued Shafie and Yayasan Sabah for one billion ringgit for defamation.
“Shafie should stop spreading lies and his revenge against me, as I am not running for the next election and therefore I am no longer a threat to him,” he said in a statement.
“While I understand your need to make poignant political speeches in your election campaign, telling outright lies repeatedly is shameful and inappropriate for a state leader, much less someone who has the ambition to become prime minister.”
Musa described Shafie’s accusation as “malicious and unfounded” and was intended to tarnish his reputation.
He said that it was impossible for the land under Yayasan Sabah to “disappear” or be handed over to a third party, as it was under a “license” and under the protection of the Yayasan Sabah Act of 1966.
Such land, he said, could only be taken from the foundation’s property for government use and conservation purposes, citing the Danum Valley and Imbak Canyon as examples.
“No less than 700,000ha of the Yayasan Sabah land is classified as Fully Protected Areas,” he said.
“Only 250,000ha of Yayasan Sabah have been authorized under the Forest Rules.
“Therefore, Shafie has been lying because the 700,000 hectares of Yayasan Sabah’s land are still there and have not disappeared, as claimed.
“Despite the fact that the persons in question publicly deny the accusation and it is widely reported in the mainstream media and online, he continues to spread such slanders.”
On Shafie’s accusation that Musa had also approved Yayasan Sabah’s licensee contracts, he said that the president of Warisan should know that it was not the prime minister who approved them, but the foundation’s board of directors.
“Instead of focusing so much on me, I should tell people why Warisan should run Sabah and why he should be chosen to run the government,” he said.
“As a leader, you must focus on what you have accomplished and what you can offer the most to people.
“Improving infrastructure, the economy, providing jobs and business opportunities, and putting food on the table should be on your agenda.”
