KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) wants action to be taken against the "culprits" behind a smear campaign linking Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s family to a Sabah drug cartel that was recently busted by the police.
GRS information chief Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan (pic) said police must identify the culprit who made baseless accusations that Hajiji's son was involved in the drug cartel.
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"The accusations are not only false and wild but also an offence for defaming the good name of our Chief Minister's family.
"It is clearly a disgusting act and spreading such falsehood is an attempt to not only put the Chief Minister in a bad light but also GRS and Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) which he leads," Nizam added in a statement on Monday (Jan 15).
Nizam said it was possible that such dirty tactics could have been employed by a political party trying to topple the state government.
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He said desperation had driven those responsible to fabricate stories as they had run out of political capital.
"These irresponsible people should remember that the people are wise. They will judge and will definitely reject (a) party that uses dirty tactics by spreading slander," he added.
On Jan 14, Hajiji's son Mohammad Reza lodged a police report with the Tuaran district police headquarters to deny any involvement in any drug cartel. Police have said that an investigation was under way.
On Dec 26, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay announced in Kuala Lumpur that police had cracked a major drug syndicate operating in Sabah with the arrest of the kingpin, a “Datuk Seri” who is also a patron of a little-known NGO.
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In total, 10 people have been held for alleged involvement in the drug syndicate.
Apart from GRS, state Opposition party Parti Warisan was also immediately linked to the cartel through social media posts.
Warisan party officials dismissed the claims as "wild and baseless" and lodged several police reports over the allegations.
