KOTA KINABALU: As the storm over the mining and prospecting licence issuance bribery scandal lingers, the big question here is if Sabah will head for early polls.
Observers are talking about what the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor will opt for: ride through the turbulence or dissolve the state assembly to get a new mandate.
The next state election is not due till next September. But the calm has been broken by a whistleblower claiming that he has eight secretly taken videos implicating GRS leaders in the alleged scandal.
Political analyst Rahezzal Shah said it is too early to tell how things will pan out, adding that it will all depend “on the extent and quality of the exposure”.
“What is certain is that the controversy has gained lots of traction on social media,” said the Sabah UiTM senior lecturer on politics and public policy.
Rahezzal said the issue has put Hajiji in a tricky situation, as calling a snap election would result in a campaign smeared by corruption allegations.
“But calling it at a later date could also be potentially damaging for GRS if the issue gains traction. So, it’s going to be a tough call by Hajiji,” he said as he weighed in on the alleged scandal.As the issue unfolds, none of the videos released so far via a news portal implicates any direct evidence of bribes, although it shows an assemblyman discussing the sale of a mining licence to a company linked to his family with the whistleblower.
Former state minerals mining company chief executive officer Jontih Enggihon went on record in a video to accuse Hajiji of politically-driven abuse of power in the issuance of the licences.
The Sabah government lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Tuesday, the day the video was uploaded by the news portal.
It accused Jontih of working with a businessman believed to be the whistleblower to obtain mining licences.
Sources said the report allowed graft busters to open up investigations into the case ahead of the businessman’s attempt to secure whistleblower status with the anti-graft agency.
It is learnt that the businessman has yet to make a formal report pending his application for whistleblower status on Oct 30.
Notwithstanding the probe’s outcome and with more videos expected to implicate local leaders, the political impact has already triggered talk of an “earlier than planned” state election.
There is even speculation about a potential state cabinet reshuffle, and if the issue escalates, Hajiji’s opponents may attempt to topple his coalition.
Most observers see the allegations, substantiated or otherwise, as bruising the image of the GRS-Pakatan Harapan ruling state coalition.
“These allegations place the GRS government, particularly its top leadership, in the spotlight. Such accusations can build a negative perception among the public,” said Tony Paridi Bagang, a lecturer with Sabah UiTM.
He said it is unlikely that Hajiji and GRS would call for snap polls, with elections already due next year.
“Allegations and character asassination are common, especially as elections approach,” he said.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Assoc Prof Dr Lee Kuok Tiung said the GRS government is unaffected as the accusers were widely seen as trying to get state contracts.
“The validity of such claims must be thoroughly verified, especially in this digital age, where audio and visual content can easily be fabricated,” he added.
As the allegations surfaced, Hajiji clarified that his government was operating as usual, requesting a thorough investigation into the case and asserting that the whistleblower should be arrested first.
The controversy is likely to dominate next week’s Budget 2025 debate in the State Assembly, with Hajiji’s main opponents – Sabah Barisan Nasional-Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal – set to lock horns with the state government on the issue.
