Hajiji S Aide Hits Back At Shafee Over Macc Mining Scandal Report

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Hajiji Noor’s political secretary, Roland Chia, said lawyer Shafee Abdullah should advise his client to stop contacting elected representatives and journalists.PETALING JAYA: An aide to Sabah chief minister Hajiji Noor has hit back at lawyer Shafee Abdullah for questioning Hajiji’s knowledge of a statement made to the authorities by a client of Shafee’s regarding an alleged mining scandal

Hajiji’s political secretary, Roland Chia, said he found it perplexing that the veteran lawyer was questioning how certain information had come to Hajiji’s attention. “In high-profile investigations, especially those involving multiple stakeholders, information often surfaces from a variety of sources,” he said.
Chia accused Shafee’s client, a purported whistleblower to the alleged scandal, of “actively engaging” elected representatives, journalists and other parties. Therefore, it was hardly surprising that such discussions extended beyond private circles, he said.
Chia said that Shafee should advise his client to stop contacting elected representatives and journalists, instead of making “baseless insinuations” against the chief minister.
“The integrity of ongoing investigations should be respected, and any attempt to manipulate the narrative through unofficial channels risks undermining public confidence,” Chia said in a statement.
Earlier today, Shafee had questioned how Hajiji became aware of his client’s statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Malaysiakini quoted him as saying he was shocked and curious over how the chief minister obtained the details, as such information fell under the Official Secrets Act.
Chia also made reference to Shafee’s recent claim that US actions over 1Malaysia Development Berhad were part of a conspiracy against another client, former prime minister Najib Razak, to bring about regime change in Malaysia before the 2018 general election.
“By his own reasoning, he should reflect on how misinformation and the manipulation of the narrative might be occurring in this current situation as well,” he said.
Chia said the attempts by Shafee’s current client to reach elected representatives and journalists raised the same concerns about false narratives being spread to the public.
On Friday, Shafee claimed that international interference had shaped Malaysian public opinion about Najib, as part of moves to destabilise his government through coordinated efforts.
On Monday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it was investigating a purported whistleblower over information about corrupt practices allegedly involving several Sabah assemblymen regarding prospecting licence approvals.
However, MACC chief Azam Baki said the purported whistleblower had declined to submit the evidence in his possession.
The controversy of the alleged mining scandal has been characterised as a plot to oust Hajiji. It arose after the purported whistleblower leaked videos implicating several assemblymen.
Sabah Umno has since denied being the mastermind of the controversy but said Hajiji should step down as chief minister. - FMT

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