PAPAR: Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali has challenged three opposition Sabah politicians to prove their allegations that he is involved in the Sabah mining controversy.
Alternatively, they should help him identify those involved in making the allegations since the three have been forwarding the allegations via social media.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister identified the three as Jeffery Nor Mohamed (Umno Sabah), Elopura assemblyman Calvin Chong, and former Papar MP Ahmad Hassan (Warisan).
He said the attack on him was based on anonymous “flying messages” on social media without any real name of the senders except for the two characters being “investigative journalist (X7)” and one “Datuk Z”
“The assistance of the three is necessary since they have amplified the issue. They should locate and bring ‘Datuk Z’ and the so-called ‘investigative journalist (X7)’ out of the shadows and reveal any evidence they have regarding these accusations,” he said.
“Don’t just ‘throw stones and hide your hands’,” said Armizan, who is Member of Parliament for Papar.
The posts included images of SMM and Armizan’s visit to the office of the mining company, PT Bayan Resources, in Jakarta on May 16, 2023.
Jeffery had earlier challenged Armizan to explain two viral photos that allegedly show him meeting with representatives of the company.
He questioned Armizan’s capacity and involvement in the matter, asking whether the trip to Indonesia was declared to the Prime Minister’s Department or the Chief Secretary to the Government.
In response, Armizan clarified that his involvement in the meeting with the Indonesian mining firm, PT Bayan Resources was in his official capacity as a Board Member of Sabah Mineral Management Sdn Bhd (SMM), which he relinquished when appointed to the Federal Cabinet.
According to him, he did not attend the meeting alone but was accompanied by SMM’s management and technical team—as SMM is a state-owned GLC—to listen to an investment proposal from PT Bayan Resources.
“In fact, I was accompanied by almost the entire SMM management team and technical experts, as they are the ones with expertise in evaluating PT Bayan’s investment proposal.
“If we were there in secrecy, we wouldn’t have taken pictures as alleged in the anonymous message. Moreover, I wasn’t the only one in the photos—both companies’ full management teams were also present.
“I resigned as SMM Board Member on September 1, 2023, whereas the meeting with PT Bayan took place on May 16, 2023—so my presence at that time was entirely relevant,” Armizan said.
On PT Bayan’s credibility, he said the company is one of Indonesia’s largest taxpayers and has a strong track record in business operations there.
“PT Bayan Resources is a genuine investor, unlike certain ‘cartel’ companies with no track record. They have transformed the areas they develop into full-fledged towns in Kalimantan.
“It’s clear that they don’t just focus on business but also on community welfare. They have built schools and created job opportunities in the areas they operate.
“That is why the State government considered PT Bayan’s investment proposal during the meeting on May 16, 2023,” Armizan said.
Armizan said he would lodge a report against those responsible for spreading the allegations. “I have instructed my lawyer to officially write to the three local leaders, asking them to clarify their stance.
He said a police report has already been filed against Ahmad for spreading the allegations without verifying their accuracy and that he (Armizan) is currently awaiting the results of the investigation.
Nevertheless, he is proceeding with a defamation lawsuit against Ahmad.
“He (Ahmad) made this anonymous ‘flying message’ go viral. When I confronted him, he said he only ‘forwarded’ (shared) it.
“If the police do not take action against him for spreading an unverified message, I will file a defamation suit against him for spreading slanderous claims about me,” Armizan said.
