Ini Paling Chunn Bung Takes Dig At Hajiji Over Audio Clip

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Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin couldn’t resist a jab at his political nemesis, Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, as the countdown to the state polls coincides with a mining scandal that keeps digging up fresh dirt.
This came after news portal MalaysiaNow published an audio clip allegedly featuring Hajiji stressing the need to approve a coal mining exploration licence for a company linked to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s former political aide, Farhash Wafa Salvador.
“Yang penting kita luluskan dulu, urus kemudian (What is important is to approve, sort it out later),” Bung (above, left) wrote in a Facebook post, referring to a quote from the clip attributed to Hajiji.
The Umno leader described the remark as “ini paling ‘chunn’ (This is most apt)”.
ADSIn the clip, a voice said to be Hajiji’s - who also chairs the state-owned Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd - is heard stating: “Yes, we will get to that later. The important thing is that we approve its application.”
This followed concern raised by another voice, purportedly belonging to State Secretary Safar Untong, who said: “But the area is too big, Datuk Seri, 70,000ha.”
Farhash Wafa Salvador, former aide to PM Anwar IbrahimAccording to MalaysiaNow, the recording was supposedly from a meeting in May 2024 involving the SMM board.
The clip has been uploaded to YouTube and TikTok.
Sabah PN chief Ronald Kiandee also took a dig over MalaysiaNow’s latest exposé.
Commenting on allegations that the meeting was attended by Indonesian mining conglomerate PT Bayan Resources - said to be a partner to Farhash’s company - Kiandee said it was “strange, very strange”.
Far-reaching fallout
Previously, SMM denied that any licence had been approved for the firm, while Farhash dismissed the allegation as fake and lodged a police report against MalaysiaNow.
Hajiji and his Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition have been under mounting pressure since the explosive Sabah mining scandal came to light in November last year.
The fallout has been far-reaching. A total of 15 politicians linked to GRS - including senior members of Hajiji’s cabinet, top leaders of component parties, and even the speaker of the state legislative assembly - have been implicated in the scandal.
So far, two assemblypersons have been formally charged in court, along with the whistleblower businessperson who brought the issue into public view, adding a dramatic twist to what has become one of the most politically damaging crises of Hajiji’s tenure. - Mkini

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