No Mineral Exploration By Farhash-linked Company In Sabah, Case Is Closed - MACC

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 9 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today confirmed that no mineral exploration activities have been carried out in Sabah by the company linked to Datuk Seri Farhash Wafa Salvador, contrary to recent allegations.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said that investigations found that the company never applied for land from the Sabah state government. Instead, it only submitted an application for mineral exploration to Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM).

Speaking at a press conference on MACC’s ongoing cases, Azam clarified that the application only received a conditional approval from SMM in March 2023, and not an official endorsement from the state government or its executive council.

“The company linked to Farhash was said to have received approval from the state to explore minerals in Sabah. Our investigations found that no land application was made.

“What existed was only a mineral exploration application to SMM, and SMM initially granted conditional approval in March 2023, subject to the company submitting required documentation,” he said.

However, Azam added that the company failed to submit the necessary documents, leading to the cancellation of the application on March 21 this year.

“As a result, no exploration activities ever took place because the company did not fulfil the documentation requirements,” he said.

Azam further confirmed that the investigation included statements from all relevant parties, including individuals from SMM and the state government. The probe also found no issues of governance or wrongdoing.

“In the end, the deputy public prosecutor concluded that there were no criminal offences committed under the MACC Act 2009, the Penal Code, or any other laws. Therefore, the case has been officially closed,” he said.

In a separate development regarding the Sabah mining corruption scandal, Azam confirmed that two Sabah state assemblymen, along with businessman Datuk Albert Tei, had already been charged in court as of June.

“The remaining six assemblymen are still under review, with no decisions yet from the deputy public prosecutor,” he added.

Previously, media reports stated that eight assemblymen were allegedly involved in the mining-related corruption scandal, though only two have been formally charged so far.

-- BERNAMA