Shafie instructs Sabah AG to take action for slander

TAWAU: Caretaker Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal wants legal action to be taken against an NGO that alleged that Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Juhar Mahiruddin had accepted an inducement in dissolving the state legislative assembly.

Shafie said he had instructed the state Attorney General to take action as the allegation not only involved him but also those present during the meeting with Juhar, before the dissolution of the state assembly was announced.

“That is malicious because during the meeting with Tun Juhar, the state Attorney General was also present,” he told a press conference after the handing-over ceremony of 67 new houses and 308 land titles to fire victims in Kampung Tanjung Batu Otentik and land titles in Tawau and Kalabakan yesterday.

He said also present at the meeting were Deputy Chief Ministers Datuk Christina Liew and Datuk Jaujan Sambakong as well as Sindumin assemblyman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob.

He was commenting on the complaint lodged by the chairman of Gerakan Kuasa Rakyat Malaysia (G57) Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission alleging that Juhar’s move to dissolve the Sabah state assembly was as a return of favour for Shafie to extend his term as governor.

Elaborating, Shafie said that at the meeting, he only advised Juhar to consider the dissolution based on the current political situation in the state.

“I was just advising, I have no right to dissolve the state assembly,” he said.

On July 30, Shafie announced the dissolution of the state legislative assembly thus paving the way for fresh polls to be held.

A day earlier, former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman announced he had obtained a simple majority to form a new state government.

On another matter, Shafie, who is Parti Warisan Sabah president, welcomes any cooperation with the new party formed by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said the cooperation may turn out fruitful if it is in line with Warisan’s struggles concerning the people and the state.

He said this at the event when asked to respond to Dr Mahathir’s announcement on Friday on the formation of a new party which is not aligned to either Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional. — Bernama