SABAH TODAY

BY SABAHTODAY
KOTA KINABALU: It is not the truth to say that only RM60 million remained in the Yayasan Sabah coffers when the new state government was formed after the Warisan-led administration.

The amount was actually RM460 million said former director of Yayasan Sabah, Datuk Jamalul Kiram bin Datuk Hj. Mohd Zakaria.

He rejected the claims made by a non-government organisation and said the figure included RM300 million in Innoprise Corporation Sdn Bhd, the investment arm of Yayasan Sabah.

Jamalul was replaced as Director after Warisan lost the polls in September 2020.

He said during the Warisan-led government, the bulk of expenses was spent on paying debts that were a legacy of mismanagement by the previous Barisan Nasional government.

A clear example is the Sabah International Convention Centre which started off at a cost of RM530 million but after at least three cost variance, it eventually came to a whopping RM850 million.

The foundation had no option but to obtain a bank loan of RM300 million to ensure the completion of the SICC project.

Other unsettled payments left behind by the BN government were the salaries of staff at the University College Sabah Foundation and Kolej Teknikal Yayasan Sabah, which was paid during the Warisan-led government.

Jamalul said former Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Shafie Apdal did not award any timber concession because the BN government had already selected a privilege few to contractually carry out logging for between 50 and 100 years.

This timber cartel made catastrophic amounts of profit that could have gone towards scholarships for Sabahan students and proper healthcare for the rural communities.

As for the issue on the Yayasan Sabah House, Jamalul said it was left in a shockingly dilapidated state when the Warisan-led government took over. (Apparently businessmen who had dealings with the then government stayed there.

It was then renovated to become the official residence of the Chief Minister and as such, it is currently where Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor resides.

Jamalul advised the NGO calling itself Gerakan Anti Rasuah Malaysia (GERAM) to also follow up on the legal suit against Tan Sri Musa Aman that was filed by Yayasan Sabah last year.

“Why has the case suddenly been dropped after the GRS took rein of the government? Doesn’t his case merit investigation by MACC too?” he asked.