MACC urged to investigate elements of corruption of the Borneo Samudera land case

KOTA KINABALU - MACC has been urged to thoroughly investigate into a case involving Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd (BSSB) and members of the Bagahak oil palm smallholders Scheme in Lahad Datu.

Datu Shuaib Mutalib, a political activist, said he had received many queries from the people involved in the smallholder scheme asking, what is the current status of their claim.

The case was referring to a land judgment by the High Court published on 26 October 2014 in the Daily Express newspaper in its front page “Liew to pay record RM557 mil”.

Three people namely Siti Rahfizah Mihaldin, Samsuri Baharudin and PKR Sabah Chief Christina Liew who is now the Deputy Chief Minister were ordered to pay a total RM557 million. They were jointly found guilty of intentionally designed and schemed to unlawfully induce the breach of JVA to obtain possession of about 819 smallholders (the JV land approximately 12,000 acres) for their own use and benefit, knowing that the said lots had been injected to the JV company and that the land has been fully developed by the JV company and BSSB in accordance with the JVA.

The group of activists had lodged a report to the MACC to investigate this case as soon as possible because the decision has been delayed from 2014 until 2018 after receiving information from smallholders in Lahad Datu that found out political interference involved whereby the case previously won by Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd is believed to be withdrawn.

This political intervention can undermine the interests of Borneo Samudera Sdn Bhd a subsidiary of government-linked company Sawit Kinabalu Sdn Bhd and the smallholders involved.

This political intervention can lead to possible elements of corruption or abuse of power by the authorities and the group urged the MACC investigate of which they are willing to provide further information if necessary.

It is proposed that the MACC take evidence from the company Borneo Samudera, smallholders and so on.

• Liew to pay record RM557mil