KOTA KINABALU: A state-owned firm has initiated legal proceedings following media reports linking it to a disputed prospecting licence in Sabah.
Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM) said recent publications by a news portal were false, misleading, and published without seeking the company’s response.
The company clarified that it holds no authority to issue prospecting licences under the Sabah Mining Ordinance 1960, a role reserved solely for the Department of Lands and Surveys (JTU).
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});SMM said it only issues conditional letters of permission to apply, which are not licences, and all applicants must undergo due diligence and further checks by other government agencies.
It added that a conditional approval granted to Bumi Suria Sdn Bhd was cancelled in March 2025 when the company failed to complete its application process.
SMM also raised concerns over the use of its CEO’s image and name alongside an unrelated audio clip, calling it a deliberate misrepresentation by the news portal.
The company has instructed its lawyers to file a defamation suit against the news portal and any parties that reproduce the same content.
