Papar MP Armizan Mohd Ali accuses Warisan Supreme Council member Calvin Chong and Sabah Umno elections director Jeffery Nor Mohamed of spreading false claims.
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| GRS deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali said he had instructed his lawyers to issue letters to the trio seeking clarification and demanding accountability for the alleged slander. |
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah deputy secretary-general Armizan Mohd Ali has hit out at several leaders from Sabah Umno and Warisan over allegations linking him to the Sabah mining scandal, challenging them to disclose their sources.
Armizan accused Warisan Supreme Council member Calvin Chong and Sabah Umno elections director Jeffery Nor Mohamed of acting as mouthpieces to amplify the claims made in an anonymous viral message circulating on fake social media accounts.
He also urged Chong, Jeffery and former Papar MP Ahmad Hassan of Warisan, whom he accused of spreading the claims, to help him trace the sources of the allegations.
“Bring forth the so-called ‘investigative journalist’ involved and reveal the identity of the ‘Datuk Z’ – along with whatever evidence they supposedly have – if these figures even exist.
“If they fail to do so, I challenge them to make a clear and unambiguous statement accusing me of corruption – say it outright, without hiding behind vague insinuations,” he said in a statement.
Armizan, the domestic trade and cost of living minister, said he had instructed his lawyers to issue letters to Chong, Jeffery and Ahmad seeking clarification and demanding accountability for the alleged slander.
“With a credible source, I will initiate defamation proceedings, and they will be required to present any evidence (if such evidence even exists) to substantiate their claims. Do not throw stones and then hide your hands,” he said.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that Chong had called on GRS to state its position on the corruption allegations faced by Armizan, saying the coalition could not rely on the principle of “innocent until proven guilty in court” as an excuse to remain silent or avoid responsibility.
On Wednesday, Jeffery dared Armizan to come clean, amid the circulation of two photographs allegedly showing a meeting between the minister and representatives from an Indonesian mining firm in 2023.
Armizan said the photographs were from his participation in a meeting between the management of Sabah Mineral Management (SMM) Sdn Bhd – a state subsidiary – and representatives from Indonesian public-listed firm PT Bayan Resources on May 16, 2023.
“The meeting was a genuine, high-impact investment exploration effort, similar to PT Bayan’s successful projects in Indonesia, which have also employed many skilled Malaysian professionals,” he said.
He said it was absurd that his participation in the meeting – at that time, in his capacity as a board member of SMM, along with the firm’s entire management team – was being used as fodder for slander.
In a Facebook post on March 24, Libaran Warisan’s information and multimedia bureau quoted the “investigative journalist” as saying that Armizan’s alleged involvement in the Sabah mining scandal was revealed by one “Datuk Z”.
The post also claimed that a journalist had confirmed with a SMM officer that Armizan had told the officer to exclude his name from the meeting minutes as his attendance was intended to be “off the record”.
The minister is alleged to have received millions of ringgit in bribes from the Indonesian firm, which is owned by a billionaire.
Source: FMT
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